Our Mini specialists were delighted to be invited to the recent Goodwood Revival festival, where, alongside the many fantastic historical cars on show, was a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Mini.
Taking place on the famous estate and track in Sussex, Goodwood Revival offers attendees a ‘step back in time’ in which the post-second world war-era, up until the mid-1960s are celebrated. This is not just with the vehicles on show, but also through the many on-the-day events and activities. To establish its period feel, attendees are even asked to wear clothing that ‘evokes the era’ too!
Mini Specialists Celebrate The Mini’s 60th Birthday At Goodwood.
We were extended the invite to attend along with Mini legend Paddy Hopkirk and his 33EJB replica (which is maintained and stored by us) – as no celebration of the Mini at such a prestigious event cannot be complete without the presence of the man and car that shocked the world by winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964! Speaking of which, Paddy was joined on the track by fellow Rally Hall of Famer (and winner of the 1967 Monte Carlo Rally in his own Cooper), Rauno Aaltonen, which delighted watching Mini fans young and old.
The centrepiece of the Mini’s 60th birthday celebrations at Goodwood was undoubtedly the parade of 150 Mini’s; from the very first Austin/Morris models to the Cooper’s that established the brand as a ‘must-have’ for anyone who fancied themselves as being ‘fashionable’. This event also had three of the four Mini Cooper’s that were owned by each member of The Beatles, being driven around the track (famously, nobody knows for sure what happened to John Lennon’s).
You can check out some great highlights from the Mini Parade at Goodwood Revival below:
We were also joined at the event by Mike Cooper who brought along his T72 Formula Three car for none other than Sir Jackie Stewart to pilot around the Goodwood track! Our Mini specialists restored this car in 2014, so it’s always a pleasure to see it back on the track running at its best. Although on the day, it was suffering from ‘teething troubles’ as it had been stood for a long time without use. We quickly got to work with Mike to get it up and running for Sir Jackie to drive on the track, evoking memories of his early career, when he tested for The Cooper Car Company.
Speaking of that innovative company, Goodwood Revival also paid tribute to Mike’s father, John Cooper, the founder and innovator of many great racing cars during the era – including the Mini Cooper. Brilliantly linking in with the birthday of the Mini and The Cooper Car Company, 2019 also marks the 60th anniversary of Jack Brabham’s Formula One Championship win in a Cooper T51. This was a significant milestone in motor racing history as it became the first car to win a championship with an engine mounted in the rear of the vehicle.
“I am absolutely thrilled that Goodwood has decided to honour my father and the team 60 years on from securing its first World Championship, it’s extra special that the celebration is being held at Goodwood, as the Cooper family holds the distinction of being the only fourth-generation family to compete at Goodwood”.
- Mike Cooper (You can read more of Mike’s interview with Goodwood Revival here)
We had a fantastic time at the festival, which we would, of course, recommend that you attend – a great event for all of the family (children’s tickets are FREE!) it always offers a great opportunity for people to remember, enjoy or learn something new about the historic vehicles on display.
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Having been retailing high-quality Mini parts and accessories since the 1960s, Mini Sport have established a leading reputation on the subject of ‘everything Mini’! Aside from supplying original specification parts from the most well-respected manufacturers around, we create our own products too. Why not take a look around our website or download a copy of our catalogue to learn more?
If you have any questions about anything you see on our website or on anything regarding the Mini past or present in general, our Mini specialists would be pleased to hear from you. Give them a call today on 01282 778 731 or send an e-mail to sales@minisport.com
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