From its launch on September 20, 1961 the Mini Cooper caused a sensation. The diminutive Cooper combined the glamour and racing heritage of 1959 and 1960 Formula 1 champions the Cooper Car Company with the outstanding handling and downright practicability of the Austin Mini Seven and Morris Mini Minor. The Mini Cooper not only ruled the racetracks and rally stages of the early and mid-1960s but proved to be a practical and fun sporting family saloon car. With over 100,000 examples sold between 1961 and 1971 the Mini Cooper is still a practical sporting saloon in the guise of the BMW owned MINI Cooper 60 years after the introduction of the original model. Based upon over 50 face to face interviews, this book quotes the Mini Cooper's designers, developers, and professional race and rally drivers plus a host of contemporary owners.