John Cooper Works - the embodiment of ultimate driving fun in the MINI.

Premium quality, racing know-how and MINI feeling are now even more
closely united: John Cooper Works continues success story with extended
product range and new brand identity. Munich. The roots shared by the
names MINI and John Cooper Works reach back almost 50 years. Now a new
chapter of their success story has been opened. Under the roof of MINI
the entire product range designed for the driver with a specifically
sporting ambition will bear the John Cooper Works label. Consequently,
John Cooper Works will in future become an integral part of the MINI
brand and represent more than ever before the epitome of ultimate
driving fun for all MINI enthusiasts. A visible sign of this
repositioning is the newly devised brand logo which will be seen on all
future John Cooper Works products. It is the guarantee for exceptional
racing know-how, for an avid aspiration to achieve peak efficiency as
well as for a deep understanding of the unconventional character and the
outstanding quality demands expected of MINI. All John Cooper Works
performance components are perfectly adapted to suit the MINI and are
developed and manufactured at the highest premium level. They fulfil
the high BMW Group standards with regard to reliability, workmanship
and authenticity and are therefore also subject to the warranty
conditions applicable to MINI. MINI and John Cooper Works - an
alliance with tradition. The new constellation strengthens the alliance
between MINI brand values and racing tradition even further. It is
based on the revised 2007 version of the trademark agreements between
MINI and John Cooper Garages, which have been intensively involved in
the tuning of MINI models since the re-launch of the MINI brand. Chief
executive Mike Cooper will continue to operate as the connecting link
between the two companies in order to guarantee the mutual transfer of
racing passion and MINI feeling on a long term basis. In doing this
he is following in his father's footsteps. The legendary Formula 1
design engineer John Cooper already introduced his first refined version
of the Mini as early as 1961.The Mini Cooper had been born. Only two
years previously a mini car created by Alec Issigonis had
revolutionised everyday transportation. Now John Cooper had provided
racing fans with a vehicle that was setting new standards in agility
and driving fun. In the following decades the name Cooper became
synonymous worldwide with the ultimate driving fun experienced in a
Mini. The fact that it was this new kind of compact car that had
inspired the two-times Formula 1 world champion to build outstanding
sports cars was convincing proof of the Mini's qualities. The unique
driving experience that was associated with the Mini fascinated Cooper
so much that he was prompted to refine it to perfection, a fact that
enthuses every sports car fan to this day. Performance at premium
level: John Cooper Works accessories. Today the brand John Cooper Works
stands for optional equipment and accessories, vehicle concepts and
small-lot production, providing MINI enthusiasts with the opportunity
to live out their passion for motor sports. Fitted with the John Cooper
Works Tuning Kit, the MINI Cooper S becomes a power machine that need
not fear comparison with well reputed sports cars. The tuning kit
comprises a sports air filter, sports silencer and modified engine
electronics, facilitates a boost in output to 141 kW/192 bhp and
provides both a visual and acoustic differentiation. The highlights
of the John Cooper Works accessory range include the aerodynamics
package, sports suspension with red lacquered springs, a wide choice of
alloys and a high performance braking system with perforated brake
discs. Moreover, a strut brace for the engine compartment, mirror caps
in a carbon finish and side indicator surrounds - better known as side
scuttles - featuring a sporty looking grid design are available. The
list of features providing the interior with a racing car ambience
includes interior trims, handbrake lever and gear shift knob in a
carbon decor. John Cooper Works sport seats, Alcantara/Carbon sports
steering wheel and gear shift indicator, which signalises the optimum
time to change gear for maximum acceleration, are the perfect
ingredients for an ultimate driving experience. Ready for the
racetrack: The John Cooper Works CHALLENGE. The new racing car for the
MINI CHALLENGE 2008 also bears the famous label. The MINI John Cooper
Works CHALLENGE is a racing machine that is the result of decades of
experience in building racing cars - an output of 154 kW/210 bhp
(temporary values) and equipped with many components developed
exclusively for the racetrack. Drivers of the MINI CHALLENGE can
redefine the limits of their capabilities, bringing even more
excitement to the already successful club sport series. All John Cooper
Works products are designed to meet exceptionally high quality
standards. Down to the smallest detail they must be able to cope not
only with the extreme conditions prevailing on the racetrack, but also
fulfil the extensive requirements of everyday traffic in terms of
functionality, design, reliability and durability. The work of
experienced engineers as well as countless test kilometres on the
racetrack and on the road ensure that these requirements are fulfilled.
Consequently, the brands MINI and John Cooper Works stand for the
promise of quality, the significance of which is unique in the MINI's
competitive environment. John Cooper: Synonymous with success in
motor sports. No other name is so closely associated with the racing
legend behind the MINI as the name John Cooper. Along with the designer
of the classic Mini, Sir Alec Issigonis, he has made a decisive
contribution in creating this unique vehicle's character that still
remains alive to this day. The basis of this stems from a close
friendship between the two men. Long before Alec Issigonis created the
classic Mini, he fostered a close relationship with the ex racing
driver and well-known British automobile designer. Cooper was regarded
as being equally talented, ambitious and zestful. At the early age of
twelve, John Cooper, who was born in 1923 in Surrey, England, showed
the public what he was made of when he drove a racing car built by his
father, with whom he founded the Cooper Car Company in 1946. The two
began building racing cars, at first for Formula 3 racing. The Cooper
Car Company soon advanced to become the most successful supplier of
professional racing cars, taking English teams and drivers to the top
of Formula 1 racing. The mid-engine concept: A vision changes Formula
1 racing. With their concept of a mid-engine sports car Charles and John
Cooper set a ground-breaking trend in 1955 for the entire industry.
During the years 1959 and 1960 racing cars built by Cooper won both the
constructors' and the drivers' title in the Formula 1 world
championship featuring mid-engine vehicles. The concept was a success,
with other manufacturers following the example in the years to come.
Soon all Formula 1 series cars were built according to this principle.
Nevertheless, Cooper was still able to maintain the status of having
the most successful brand in Formula 1 racing during the fifties and
sixties. During the course of time almost every motor sports legend had
driven a Cooper, whether Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren or Jochen Rindt.
Contact with Alec Issigonis had already been established when John
Cooper was having engines built at the British Motor Corporation (BMC)
which he employed in his Formula Junior racing cars. For this reason
Cooper was familiar with the history of the development of the Mini
that Issigonis was to design for BMC. This company had been established
through the merger of British car manufacturers, its brands including
Austin, Morris, MG and Wolseley. Early recognition of the Mini's
potential. John Cooper was completely fascinated by the emergence of
the Mini. He was convinced that the innovative vehicle concept
featuring the "wheel on each corner" principle, the short
overhangs and the overall flat appearance was exactly what he had been
searching for over many years - the basis for a superior racing
machine. As early as 1959, the year in which the Mini debuted, he sent
his driver Roy Salvadori with the first Mini Cooper, a one-off, to
Monza to be put to the test for the first time. In 1960, just six months
after the Mini's debut, six works cars equipped by John Cooper
celebrated their first success d'estimes at the Monte Carlo Rally.
The Mini's creator Issigonis had a rather more low key approach than
racing pioneer Cooper to the plan to upgrade the car, which was
initially designed as a spacious, cheap and economical means of
transportation for everyone, to a sports version. At first, Issigonis
turned down Cooper's proposal to derive a GT model from the Mini.
However, Cooper was not put off by this and contacted BMC chief George
Harriman who finally agreed. With a limited production of 1000 Mini
Coopers, the public's reaction to such a vehicle concept was to be
tested. With modifications such as a higher stroke with smaller bores,
larger inlet valves, twin carbs, drilled outlet port and a reinforced
crankcase housing the first Mini Cooper delivered 55 bhp and a top
speed of around 130 km/h. Transmission ratio was geared to the sporting
potential, disc brakes on the front wheels ensured adequate
deceleration values. The result of these efforts finally convinced
Issigonis. He immediately joined John Cooper to work on a further step
in improving performance. For the Mini Cooper S the bore was enlarged
to 70.6 mm, this being close to the limit of what was possible.
Displacement of 1071 cc remained below the limit of 1 100 cc valid for
the targeted racing class, engine speed was, however, most impressive.
The new engine delivered 70 bhp at 6 200 rpm, top engine speed being
reached at 7 200 revs. This version was also equipped with revised
brakes, braking power being servo-assisted. 1964 to 1967: Golden
years at the Monte Carlo Rally. The foundation for sensational successes
in motor sports had been laid. It was 1962 when the Mini Cooper S
caused a stir in Monte Carlo for the first time. With Rauno Aaltonen
from Finland at the wheel the agile little car in its role as David
banished a Goliath Phalanx to the position behind him in his
slipstream. Just 3 kilometres from the finish Aaltonen, who was in the
lead, misjudged a bend and finished the race with a rollover. However,
he already made up for his misfortune the following year. Aaltonen
drove his Mini Cooper S across the finishing line to become class
winner and third in the overall ranking. And things were to get even
better. In the rally winter of 1963/1964 the Mini Cooper S was
literally bursting with power compared to its predecessor. In a
spectacular race at the Monte, Paddy Hopkirk seized first place in the
overall ranking driving a Mini with the newly designed racing engine,
beating far stronger competition. With a spectacular bang the little
sprinter had become a motor sports legend. The following year Timo
Mäkinen from Finland together with his co-pilot Paul Easter
repeated the triumph at the Monte. He was the only driver competing to
master thousands of kilometres without conceiving one single penalty
point, even although up against the most adverse conditions in the snow
and ice of the French Alps. Only 35 of 237 cars that had been on the
starting field actually made it over the finishing line at this rally,
three of them bore the logo Mini Cooper S. The following year saw the
hat-trick. The four competing Cooper teams went well ahead of the
field, with drivers Timo Mäkinen, Rauno Aaltonen and Paddy Hopkirk
achieving an incredible result. They crossed the finishing line as
first, second and third. However, this feat was followed by bitter
disappointment. The three winners were deprived of their success, as
the rally commissioners agreed that the four additional headlamps
mounted in front of the radiator grille did not comply exactly with
French registration conditions. Indeed, this decision had little effect
on the spectators' enthusiasm for the three Mini drivers. Hopkirk,
Aaltonen and Mäkinen went down in the annals of the Monte Carlo
Rally as "the three musketeers". And just a year later Rauno
Aaltonen was able to enjoy an even more enthusiastic celebration to
mark his third Monte Carlo victory in a Mini Cooper S. This time there
was nothing wrong with his vehicle. However, the Mini was not only put
on a brilliant performance at rallies. In the sixties it was able to
seize victory many times on the road. With its overall sporting record
it became the outstanding racing car of the whole decade. In addition
to its career in racing sport, the John Cooper version of the Mini
Cooper was exceptionally successful from 1961 to 1971 in terms of
sales. Even in those days the names Mini and Cooper were internationally
associated with unmatched driving fun. Moreover, tuning kits developed
by Cooper for Mini series production vehicles were in great demand.
Right from the start no other car offered more sporting features for
less money and more driving fun within a confined space. With the
Mini Mike Cooper continued his father's work. The traditional alliance
between Mini and John Cooper also became a crucial factor for the new
version of the small car. In 1999 Mike Cooper was invited by the BMW
Group to incorporate the know-how of the family business enterprise,
which now operates as John Cooper Garages, into the project MINI. Mike
Cooper continued his father's work with the same fervidness. Like John
Cooper had once done, he pondered on a performance-enhanced version
long before the launching of the MINI in the year 2001. And even then
it was his dream to get MINI back on the racetrack. He started by
organising the John Cooper Challenge for performance-enhanced series
production vehicles in England - with the starting field fully booked
within a very short time. John Cooper was not able to witness the
market launch of the modern MINI. He died in the year 2000 at the age
of 77. The name John Cooper Garages remained. Today it stands, and will
in future stand, for a company with a long-standing tradition which has
continued to convince over three generations through the use of
outstanding know-how and highest quality awareness in the field of auto
tuning, as well as being synonymous with exceptional personalities who,
for decades, have set milestones in motor sports.