Rally Legend Mini Cooper S

The Mini has been a little revolution in the automobile world, it has been one of the first mass-produced small-sized cars with transversely mounted engine and front-wheel drive that were responsible for saving space and simplifying the mechanics of the car. The positioning of gearbox under the engine in the oil sump has been a brilliant brainwave. While nowadays a car with four-cylinder 1071 cc engine providing 70 CV power is associated with a small and compact modern car, at the time of its first production, these were the characteristics of the car that was able to win Monte Carlo Rally over a way more powerful 4.7 V8 engine car producing 230 horsepower, the Ford Falcon. This small legend is the first version of Mini sports car, the 1964 Cooper S, that won the Monte Carlo Rally in the first year of its production. The Cooper weighted less than 700 kg and was 3 meters long, and it measured 1,40 m in width and 1,34 m in height. It had front-while drive, independent suspensions, front disk brakes and 10 inch wheels. John Cooper was able to construct an engine with 70 CV of power and 84 Nm of torque available at 4,000 rpm that made possible for the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 Km/h in about 13 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 160 km/h. It was driven way easier on the icy and windy roads comparing with the more powerful cars such as the Falcon and the Volvo 544. The question arises as to whether or not this car was the best small one ever. Well, in 1964, 1965 and 1967 it was definitely the best one. In the following pictures the car, driven by Rauno Aaltonen in 1969, that today has been taken back to its antique splendor to the delight of collectors.