Cooper Car Company Anniversary and Mini Cooper Festival 2026

Prescott Speed Hill Climb Saturday 15th August 

Bugatti Owners Club celebrates 80th Anniversary of Cooper Car Company & Mini Cooper's 65th

Saturday 15th August Bugatti Owners Club organized an 80th birthday event for the quintessentially British, Cooper Car Company to celebrate an important milestone in British Motor Sport History. It commemorated a Prescott speed hill climb meeting on 27/28th July 1946 when Charles and John Cooper arrived with their prototype race car. Driven by John and his friend Eric Brandon, this early prototype comprised of two scrap Fiat Topolino chassis ingeniously welded together and fitted with a Norton motorcycle engine and gearbox driving the rear wheels. It was this seminal chapter in motor racing history that formed the start of a new era and led Cooper to 2 consecutive Formula 1 Constructors Championships in 1959 and 1960.

 That pivotal Prescott hill climb July 1946 heralded the beginning of what Enzo Ferrari euphemistically dubbed the 'Garagiste' dynasty of British Motor Sport, meaning the new generation of British teams like Lotus and Cooper, who dared challenge Ferrari with a lot less budget. In fact, it proved a real shock to the il Commendatore's system that such outwardly inferior operators should purchase an 'off the shelf' Coventry-Climax engine, Hewland gearbox to install into their own fabricated tubular chassis before enlisting sponsorship from Dunlop, Champion and Esso to compete against established formula one teams!

Back to the event on Saturday 15th which was a double celebration and also celebrated the Mini Cooper's 65th Anniversary. When launched in 1959 BMC's diminutive, 850cc saloon quickly captured the fertile imagination of John Cooper who pitched an idea to BMC for a souped-up 997cc, twin carburetor, disc braked version, based on Cooper's successful Formula Junior cars. 

 Launched in 1961 and sold under the brand names of Austin or Morris, the versatile Mini Cooper quickly becamesynonymous with the swinging 60s and successful in all forms of motor sport, earning Cooper £3 royalty per car. In 1970 British Leyland shortsightedly terminated their contract with Cooper as they didn't want to pay royalties and replaced the Mini Cooper with their own 1275 GT. BMW then bought the Mini Cooper name in 2000 and have been successfully producing Gen 2 MINI Coopers ever since! 

 Saturday's Cooper jamboree, held in sublime weather, brought together Coopers of all types, ranging from early 500 cc motorcycle engine F3 cars to the final iterations of the marque powered by Maserati or Alfa Romeo enginesfollowing the family's sale of the company in 1965 and its subsequent closure in 1969. 

 Prescott guest of honor was Mike Cooper, John's son, who provided a fascinating insight and biopic of Cooper company history. Mike was also persuaded to drive one of the F1 cars up the hill, albeit slowly! Mike's son Charlie has followed in Grandfather John's footsteps and won his class in the recent 24-H Nürburgring as one of 6-drivers in a BMW MINI Cooper!  

It was in July 1946 that John Cooper kick-started the British 'Garagiste' revolution in international motor racing and in doing so, created his own eponymous marque and for sure, there is a dedicated fraternity intent on keeping the iconic Cooper name alive in motorsport. Long may it continue!

Mike Cooper in Familiar Race Overalls

Ken Davies ©