HERITAGE
THE HISTORY OF
MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS.
KEY MILESTONES.
THE COOPER CAR COMPANY.
Back in 1946, Charles Cooper and his son John founded the Cooper Car Company and built their first racing cars in Charles' small garage in Surbiton, England. These humble beginnings ultimately changed the course of motorsport and helped create a thriving worldwide racing legacy that still exists today.
A RACER FROM THE START.
The Cooper Car Company started out building single-seat F3 racing cars. Thanks to the revolutionary rear engine, they soon became the car of choice for aspiring young drivers, including John Cooper, who went on to win both the F1 World Championship and Constructors’ Championship.
MAKING OF A LEGEND.
John Cooper could see the potential of the classic Mini, but he knew he could take it further. Defying all convention, he added a more powerful engine, new brakes and sharper steering. In 1961, the first Mini Cooper was born.
THE GIANT KILLER.
By 1964, the Mini Cooper name was known worldwide. It was outracing the more powerful sedans of the day, and was tallying up wins at a rapid rate – including historic victories at Monte Carlo in 1964, 1965 and 1967.
RALLYING SUCCESS.
From 2012 to 2015, MINI John Cooper Works and the German X-raid Team won 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 achieved prestigious race wins including the 2019 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies and the Dakar Rally in 2020 and 2021.
MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS GP.
In 2020, the new MINI John Cooper Works GP was the fastest MINI ever approved for road use – an exciting benchmark in performance. Designed 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 3,000 limited edition run were snapped up in seconds by enthusiasts from around the world.
As a front runner and true pioneer in his field, we believe John Cooper would have embraced e-mobility with gusto. And we’re sure he’d be proud of the new, thrilling all-electric JCW incarnation that bears his name.
