JOHN Cooper, the Grand Prix race-car constructor and father of the Mini Cooper, was presented with the OBE for services to the motor industry, writes David Duffy.

Cooper, 76, was a leading race car constructor in the 1960s and his team produced many race-winning cars driven by greats such as Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart and Bruce McLaren.

Stewart won the Formula Three World Championship in a John Cooper car powered by the Mini's 'A' Series engine while Brabham won the Formula One World Championship in 1959 and 1960 in a Cooper car.

John Cooper was one of the first to recognise the racing potential of the Mini, and he took his ideas to a sceptical Alec Issigonis in 1960. Once convinced of Cooper's ideas, BMC commissioned the development of the first Mini Cooper, which was launched in 1961. In 1963 the even more potent Mini Cooper 'S' was launched and these cars put Mini firmly into competition racing and formed the backbone of the BMC works team. The highpoint was the three Monte Carlo Rally wins of 1964, 1965 and 1967.

Story date: Wednesday 12 April

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