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60 years of the Mini celebrated at Silverstone Classic 2019

You're always guaranteed close racing whenever a gaggle of Minis gathers - Jakob Ebrey
You're always guaranteed close racing whenever a gaggle of Minis gathers - Jakob Ebrey

It was once as much a part of the British motoring landscape as individual parking meters or Regent petrol pumps, a car designed to be small, practical and economical yet which also went on to become a serial giant-killer on the world’s racing circuits and rally stages.

There had never been anything quite like Sir Alec Issigonis’s Mini, which set a fresh template for small car design, and there hasn’t since. When BMW purchased rights to use the Mini name, it created a car that echoes the lines of the original… although modern safety features mean it is somewhat more substantial.

Launched 60 years ago by the British Motor Corporation, the Mini survived in production until the current millennium (just), the final car emerging from the Longbridge production plant in October 2000, by which time about 1.5 million had been sold in Britain… and more than five million around the world.

As an automotive cause worthy of celebration, it has few peers – and its diamond jubilee will be one of the central motifs at this year’s Silverstone Classic (July 26-28), the world’s largest historic motor racing festival.

One of the weekend’s highlights will be the Mini Celebration Trophy presented by Adrian Flux, a pair of races featuring what is anticipated to be the largest number of Minis – 50-plus cars, all pre-1966 models – ever to appear on a single grid.

British Grand Prix. Silverstone. 1969, Touring Cars. Steve Neal, Britax Cooper Downton. John Rhodes, British Leyland Mini Cooper S. John Handley, British Leyland Mini Cooper S. - Credit: Mike Hayward/Mike Hayward Collection
The way we were: the Mini race supporting the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1969. Steve Neal leads John Rhodes and John Handley in a symphony of drifting Credit: Mike Hayward/Mike Hayward Collection

The Mini’s competitive zenith coincided with the Swinging Sixties that it came to symbolise, though it remains popular with racers today. Images of drivers such as John Rhodes defying the laws of physics, smoke pouring from an outside tyre, endure in the minds of all who were there… and make the rest of us wish we had been.

Sir John Whitmore won the British Saloon Car Championship at the wheel of a Mini in 1961… the first of three such accolades for the car before the decade was through. In 1974-75, Richard Longman secured back-to-back BSCC titles in a Mini 1275GT with the squarer ‘Clubman’ snout – edited highlights from a competition career that also embraces three outright Monte Carlo Rally victories (which would have been four, but for disqualification over a technical infringement in 1966), Rauno Aaltonen’s win on the 1965 RAC Rally, forerunner to the contemporary Wales Rally GB, several class wins at Bathurst, Australia’s most challenging racetrack, and many, many more. In 1967, Paddy Hopkirk and Ron Crellin took their Mini Cooper S to victory on Greece’s ultra-tough Acropolis Rally.

Mini racing - 'Smoking' John Rhodes in action at Oulton Park in 196
The legendary 'Smoking' John Rhodes in action at Oulton Park in 1965

In 1966, a fresh concept was introduced to British motor racing – a championship for identical, lightly tuned Mini Sevens… and more than half a century later it is still going strong. And in October 1961, there was a famous saloon car battle at Brands Hatch as a gang of Minis fought to usurp a much more powerful (but less agile) Sunbeam Rapier… and a few of them succeeded, one in the hands of Steve McQueen. To its competitive credentials, add an element of cool.

Silverstone Classic CEO Nick Wigley, who passed his driving test in a Mini, said: “Absolutely everybody who loves cars loves the Mini, so we are thrilled to be celebrating this major milestone in its illustrious history. With so many examples still in existence, we are expecting to create what will be the world’s biggest-ever field of racing Minis…”

Organised by well-known promoter Masters Historic Racing, there will be two 20-minute all-Mini races over the course of the weekend, following a qualifying session on Friday – and these will be supported by themed parades and exhibitions.

Minis at silverstone classic - Credit: Mike Massaro
The infield at the Silverstone Classic is the base for a host of UK car clubs, with Mini aficionados to the fore this year Credit: Mike Massaro

It is a Silverstone Classic tradition that huge numbers of car clubs assemble vast displays of historic machinery across the circuit infield – and a substantial area has been set aside for pre-2001 Minis. Not every owner will belong to a participating club, however, so a Celebration Package ticket offer has been introduced, offering discounted admission to Mini aficionados who would like to take part. It provides owners with a pair of adult tickets (for Friday or the full three-day weekend), a vehicle pass giving access to the Mini Celebration display area, plus entry into the Mini Celebration parade (around the full Silverstone Grand Prix circuit) at lunchtime on Friday.

“This is a big birthday for everybody’s favourite little car and we want to encourage all those lucky enough to own one to be part of it,” added Wigley.

In addition to the Mini festivities, this year’s Silverstone Classic also commemorates other significant motoring landmarks, including Bentley’s centenary and 50 years of what period advertising called “The car you’ve always promised yourself” – Ford’s Capri.

Mini
The pioneering Mini set the engineering blueprint for all future small cars and came to epitomise the 'Swinging Sixties'

Grand Prix racing’s heritage will also be celebrated, with two rounds of the FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship plus a pair of Gallet Trophy showdowns for GP cars from pre-1966.

The racing will be supplemented by live music in the evenings with a special homage to Woodstock; this year celebrating its 50th anniversary with the music of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Joe Cocker, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, Ten Years After and The Who being performed across Friday and Saturday evenings, plus there will be lashings of fun-fuelled family entertainment.

Tickets must be purchased in advance and there’s still a chance for those purchasing before the end of this month to take advantage of an Early Bird initiative offering significant savings. For full details of all packages – including the Mini Celebration offer – visit www.silverstoneclassic.com.

Simon Arron is features editor of Motor Sport magazine

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