Belying its small size and apparent fragility, the Mini Cooper developed into the most successful works rally car of the 1960s. In actual fact, the works had started campaigning the Mini in rallies before the advent of the Cooper version, though with a mere 850cc to play with, the car’s agility could not make up for its lack of power. The Cooper’s arrival changed all that, and Pat Moss gave the car a dream international debut by winning the Ladies’ Prize in the 1962 Monte Carlo Rally. Favourable handicapping enabled Moss to win the Tulip and German rallies outright, while ‘Flying Finns’ Rauno Aaltonen and Timo Makinen finished 3rd and 5th in that year’s RAC event to cap a brilliant year.
Driven by Aaltonen, Hopkirk and Makinen, the Mini Cooper achieved a number of prominent leaderboard finishes the following year, while the Monte’s Ladies’ Prize was secured once again, this time by Pauline Mayman. By this time the first of the famous Cooper ‘S’ models - the 1,071cc ‘S’ - had arrived on the scene, winning first time out at the 1963 Alpine Rally driven by Aaltonen. However, the finest achievement of this short-lived version (it was used for little more than one season) was Paddy Hopkirk’s headline-grabbing victory in the 1964 Monte.
The Mini Cooper family’s ultimate expression - the 1,275cc ‘S’ - had won first time out in the 1964 Tulip Rally and became the works’ frontline car from 1965 onwards, winning the Monte Carlo, Circuit of Ireland, Geneva, Czech, Polish, 1,000 Lakes, Munich-Vienna-Budapest and RAC rallies outright, a quite outstanding achievement. With victories on four occasions, Aaltonen became European Champion.
1966 would prove equally successful for the works Minis, with victories in seven European Championship rallies; only the team’s disqualification from the Monte on a trivial technicality after finishing 1, 2, 3 on the road spoiling what was otherwise an exemplary record. Revenge was gained the following year when Aaltonen won in Monte Carlo, one of six Championship victories secured by the works Minis that season. Sadly, there would be no more to add. Several top placings were achieved in 1968, but the competition was growing ever stiffer and the works shifted its attentions to circuit racing and rallycross.
‘DJB 92B’ was first registered on 8th December 1964 and made its international debut in February 1965 in the Swedish Rally driven by Makinen/Easter, when it retired (car ‘31’). In July ’65 Hopkirk/Liddon drove it to 6th place (1st in class) at the Nordheim Westfalen Rally (car ‘58’) and in November ’65 (Lusenius/Wood) finished 6th overall (1st in class) in the RAC (car ‘44’). Makinen/Easter retired from the Swedish Rally in February 1966 (car ‘35’) and then in April ‘DJB 92B’ gained its first victory, winning the Circuit of Ireland crewed by Fall/Liddon (car ‘4’). A second win followed in May ’66 when Hopkirk/Crellin drove the car to overall victory in the Austrian Alpine Rally (car ‘4’).
Like many works Minis, ‘DJB 92B’ was re-shelled in period and retains its genuine works chassis plate as well as numerous other genuine works parts. In the vendor’s ownership since December 1978, it is offered with Swansea V5, while other paperwork includes a works specification file for the 1966 Circuit of Ireland Rally. A rare opportunity to acquire a genuine works BMC Mini Cooper S with international rally-winning history.