Monte Carlo Rally 1965 - Mini Cooper S Rally Car

In 1965, Timo Mäkinen from Finland continued the Mini Cooper’s story of success together with co-driver Paul Easter, bringing home a supreme victory in the Monte Carlo Rally as the only driver in the entire field to cover thousands of kilometres without one single penalty point despite challenging snow conditions in the French Alps. This was Mäkinen’s first outing in a Mini Cooper, with the new 1,275-cc power unit destined to become a synonym for this model. Mäkinen had set out from Stockholm with Paddy Hopkirk, two other cars coming from Minsk and one each from Paris and Athens. Hopkirk finished the Rally in 26th place, closely followed by the two brothers, Eric and Donald Morley, forming another works team.

In 1965, BMC also gave up an old tradition for the first time. The works Mini Coopers boasted tartan-red paintwork with a white roof right from the start. The only exception was the Swedish team Kallström/ Haakansson, which drove a green rally car with a white roof.

1965: only 35 out of 237 cars reach the finish line– among them three Mini Cooper S’s. Leaving aside the 1952 Monte Carlo Rally when there was nothing but snow and ice in the Alpes Maritimes, weather conditions in 1965 were acknowledged as the most difficult ever. And instead of the final circuit race on the Formula 1 track to Monaco, the teams now had to go back to the mountains a second time, the rally cars being required to cover 610 kilometres or 378 miles in a second tormenting night drive from Saint Claude to Monte Carlo, again racing through the Alpes Maritimes under the toughest conditions. Visibility in dense snowfall was almost zero, and the drivers were dazzled by their halogen headlights reflected by the snow and ice, so that ultimately, only 35 out of the original 237 teams saw the chequered flag. Facing this kind of challenge, Mäkinen put up an amazing performance, achieving the fastest time in three out of five special trials on the last, ultra-difficult legs of the race. Entering the last night eight minutes in the lead, Mäkinen won no less than five out of six special trials in this final part of the Monte Carlo Rally.

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