[Auto-Moto] Paddy Hopkirk: gentleman, legend with the classic Mini and the fifth Beatle

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His tour of strength at the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally made him Northern Ireland the most famous rally driver in the United Kingdom and propelled the classic Mini to the status of a symbol of motorsport. The pleasure of driving remains a passion of the now 87-year-old driver who continues to enjoy the challenges of the national roads.

The Ford Falcon was powered by an eight-cylinder engine and had a 17-second lead. Paddy Hopkirk had put a box of caviar in the toolbox of his Mini Cooper S and had just proved "Long Knife Night" after a crazy ride. In 1964, the Monte Carlo Rally was still a real adventure for all the drivers in the competition, and the show was broadcast live on television. It was the time when carmakers around the world discovered rallies as the perfect stage for the presentation of their models. As a result, cars of different weight and performance classes competed against each other, with a handicap formula that provided adequate compensation when points were awarded. When Hopkirk, now 87, talks about his tour de force at the controls of the classic Mini with competition number 37, the fascination of classic motorsport comes to life immediately.

Hopkirk maintains strong enthusiasm for driving features in the classic Mini. "Mini was a very advanced car. The front-wheel drive and the engine arranged transversely in front had important advantages, as well as the fact that the car was small considering that the roads were narrow and with many turns ", explains the Northern Irish driver while recalling his biggest victory. When we meet at the foot of Col de Turini, he skillfully slipped behind the wheel of the classic Mini. This time the car was decorated in British Racing Green, there was no snow on the body and I had enough time to admire the magnificent landscape and the view of Monte Carlo that could be seen in the valley. But Hopkirk still finds the ideal route right away and takes the classic Mini out of the corner, having great fun and accelerating on the floor. The pleasure of driving returns immediately, along with the memories of the competition of 56 years ago.

The caviar in the car came from Minsk and has a special story. In the winter of 1964, Hopkirk and his English navigator Harry Liddon set off from Minsk for the Monte Carlo Rally, which at the time began with a rally in nine different European cities. The six factory minis and the other cars on the competition stage met in Rheims (France). At the time, Patrick "Paddy" Hopkirk could already look back on an impressive career in which he had won coastal races and been a five-time Circuit of Ireland winner. Hopkirk had also attracted attention in the Dutch-hosted Tulip Rally, the Austrian Alpine Rally and the Safari Rally. In 1962, he had crossed the finish line third in the overall standings of the Monte Carlo Rally, under the command of a Sunbeam Rapier. And because he had a keen sense of adventure and had never flown on USSR roads, Hopkirk volunteered in 1964 to start the race in Minsk. At that time, the Montercarlo Rally also included a part of navigation on routes of thousands of kilometers with departures from several regions of Europe.

 

"Paddy" got off to a good start and a duel between Hopkirk, in control of the Mini Cooper S, and the Swedish driver Bo Ljungfeldt, at the wheel of a Ford Falcon, developed quickly on the national roads in France. The culminating moment was in Monte Carlo, on the famous Col de Turini, here the winner would be established. The previous day there was heavy snow, and this significantly slowed down the heavier and stronger cars of the rivals. In these difficult conditions the little challenger was not affected. Hopkirk says: "Mini performed particularly well on the descent, and the tests were all ups and downs, so everything I lost on the climb, I recovered on the descent."

Everything was passed by the disability formula. Ljungfeldt scored 17 seconds during "Long Knife Night" and won a half-minute lead on the final round of the Grand Prix, but that wasn't enough to dethrone Paddy Hopkirk from his lead. in the general ranking. At the finish line, it took some time for all times to be compared and all points to be calculated. In those of a Mini classic he obtained the first victory in the general classification of the Monte Carlo Rally.

The surprising blow gained worldwide recognition and followed by feverish celebrations in Britain. The Mini Classic has become a motorsport legend, and Paddy Hopkirk has become the UK's most po[CENSORED]r rally driver overnight. After the awards ceremony, the pilot and the car were repatriated to Great Britain, where they were the protagonists of the very po[CENSORED]r TV show at the time, "Sunday Night at the London Palladium". Fans, celebrities and even the British government sent congratulatory telegrams. Hopkirk's most precious memories include an autographed Beatles card with the message, "Now you're one of us, Paddy!"

The Mini Cooper S continued to dominate the Monte Carlo Rally in the following years. Hopkirk's Finnish teammates Timo Mäkinen and Rauno Aaltonen - ranked fourth and seventh in 1964 and respectively - led the Mini Cooper S to victory in the overall standings at the 1965 and 1967 editions, respectively. Rally fans christened them " The three Musketeers". In 2010, all were included as first members in the "Rally Hall of Fame" in Finland.

In 1967, Hopkirk placed sixth in the overall standings, and the following year he finished "Monte" in fifth place. However, it was inevitable that the brilliant adventure of the little British cars would have an end, especially because the opponents worked hard to develop their own models. Hopkirk got behind the wheel of other models and won several races, including the Acropolis Rally. In 1968, Paddy Hopkirk made a name for himself as a fair athlete and gentleman in the London-Sydney Marathon, when he and navigator Tony Nash stopped the Austin car, which was driving the race, to save another crew from their car. flames from a serious accident.

In the early 1970s, Paddy Hopkirk retired from professional rallies and built a career in his native Northern Ireland as a car importer and seller of accessories sold under the brand name. He was also involved in relaunching the MINI brand as a consultant for the BMW Group. The veteran rally pilot is still involved in a variety of honorary activities. During his pilot career, Hopkirk has supported a large number of road safety campaigns and is still involved as an ambassador for the charity IAM RoadSmart. His commitment also includes the position on the Board of Directors of the British Racing Drivers ’Club and the support of WheelPower, an association dedicated to the promotion of wheelchair sports. In 2016, Paddy Hopkirk received the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire from Princess Anne.