HERITAGE
THE HISTORY OF
MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS.
KEY MILESTONES
THE COOPER CAR COMPANY.
The story began with our collaboration with John Cooper in 1961. This alliance turned the modest Mini, against all odds, into a mighty racing champion.
PUTTING THE DRIVER FIRST.
The Cooper Car Company first built single-seat F3 racing cars. These were hugely successful due to their revolutionary rear engine.
This stroke of genius soon made the Cooper Car Company the choice for aspiring young drivers. John Cooper went on to win both the F1 World Championship and Constructors Championship.
MAKING OF A LEGEND.
John Cooper could see the potential of the newly introduced classic Mini. Defying all convention, he integrated a more powerful engine, new brakes and sharper steering. In 1961, the first MINI Cooper was born.
The modest family car was now a giant-slaying racer. A master of his game, John Cooper’s instinct had been spot on. A car for the ages had been created.
GIANT KILLER.
By 1964, Mini Cooper was globally renowned. It was outracing the more powerful sedans of the day. And it won almost every competition imaginable – including historic wins at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967.
MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY SUCCESS.
MINI John Cooper Works and the German X-raid Team enjoy an exceptionally successful motor sport collaboration. From 2012 to 2015, they were overall winners four times in the classic Dakar Rally held in South America.
In 2017, they entered the all-wheel-drive MINI JCW Rally and the rear-wheel-drive MINI JCW Buggy. Both have achieved prestigious race wins – including the 2019 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies and the Dakar Rally in 2020 and 2021. The successful partnership continues.
MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS GP.
In 2020, the new MINI John Cooper Works GP set new benchmarks for performance and was the fastest MINI ever approved for road use. Stripped to the max for maximum agility, its 2.0 litre, 306 PS 4-cylinder turbocharged engine can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.2 seconds.
The limited edition of 3,000 units were snapped up in seconds by enthusiasts around the world.
