MINI Pat Moss Edition 3 and 5 doors
60 years ago, a British driver took the first victory for the MINI brand in an international rally. The charismatic special editions of MINI mark the start of the sporting careers of the British "babies" and the bold entry of women into a male-dominated sport.
Motorsport is in the MINI genes
The greatest successes in the history of the brand were achieved during the rally. And it all started with an exceptional manager. In May 1962, the classic Mini entered the list of international rally winners for the first time.
MINI Pat Moss edition
In the International Tulip Rally, which ran from the Dutch municipality of Noordwijk to the French Riviera and back, Pat Moss set the fastest time in a classic Mini Cooper. 60 years later, MINI pays tribute to the talent, courage and passion of this British athlete with a special edition. The 3- and 5-door MINI Pat Moss Edition, produced in just over 800 copies, is dedicated not only to the start of the classic Mini's outstanding sporting career, but also to the first start of women in motorsport. This is because with the success in the Netherlands, both the classic Mini and Pat Moss and her co-driver Anne Wisdom have definitely become the heroines of a discipline dominated on the one hand by much larger cars and on the other hand by all-males.
Available as 3-door MINI Cooper S, 5-door MINI Cooper S and MINI John Cooper Works from May 2022, the Pat Moss Edition is packed with custom features and stylish details. The turbocharged four-cylinder engines with 131 kW (178 hp) and 170 kW (231 hp) (MINI John Cooper Works) provide exciting sporty driving pleasure in everyday conditions. The exclusive design of the models in this series nods both to the rally history of the British premium brand and to the sports careers of Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom. It also features innovative MINI products such as the Multitone roof.
For the first time, the Pat Moss Edition will also offer a Multitone roof option. The car's roof color gradient ranges from Chilli Red to Melting Silver to Jet Black.
Thanks to an innovative paint process fully integrated into the production process at the MINI plant in Oxford, a second color variant will be realized for the first time and will be available for order from March 2022. Minimal color deviations caused by changing environmental conditions make every MINI with Multitone Roof unique during the production phase. For New Edition models, the charismatic roof paint is available in Pepper White (non-metallic) or Midnight Black (metallic) body paint with red exterior mirrors.
On the C-pillars of this edition models, as well as on the side decorations, a stylized tulip symbolizes the first victory in the rally and the place of the former triumph, as well as the inscription "Pat Moss". The wheel covers also feature an exclusive design with a graphic Dutch flower outline and the MINI logo.
The most important facts about the 1962 Tulip Rally are also listed under the side ornaments on the front fenders: Noordwijk - Monte Carlo - Noordwijk route, 2500 km, car, Mini Cooper and start number 104. In addition, the slogan "born" is still visible in MINI to compete." The tulip motif, the inscription with the name and the most important information about the first winning rally can also be found on the screen-printed aluminum door sill guards, developed especially for this edition.
Another design element, first introduced with the Pat Moss Edition, is the horizontal white stripe on the hood. The imprinted sequence of three-dimensional numbers and letters - 737 ABL - is the registration number of the classic Mini that won the 1962 Tulip Rally, and thus echoes the historic model. The front of this model is embossed with the signature of Pat Moss, originally put by Pat Moss on the hood of her car after one of the victories.
In the interior of this edition, the iconic signature on the Piano Black trim panel on the passenger side commemorates the revolutionary racing driver who died in 2008. The sporty leather steering wheel has an edit icon in the form of a tulip graphic in an inset on the lower arm. The pattern of the engine pistons moving up and down is the inspiration for the graphics on the trim panel on the driver's side. The crossbars of different heights are arranged in the shape of the letters "M" and "W" for the names "Moss" and "Wisdom" and symbolize the perfectly harmonious duet that made a splash on the rally scene for many years.
The MINI Pat Moss Edition is a tribute to the pioneer of motorsport, MINI rally history and true team spirit. One of the notable details of the classic Mini's first rally success is the fact that, despite her pregnancy, Ann Wisdom didn't want to give up the Tulip Rally and piloted her colleague Pat Moss flawlessly on the 2,500km track.
"Mossie" and "Wizz", as they were called in the group, formed a successful duo in seven years. These two women had the courage to compete and revolutionize a male-dominated sport.
Pat Moss, the younger sister of Formula One driver Stirling Moss, also won the 1968 Sestriere Rally in Italy, was on the podium in many other international competitions, and won the women's standings five times at the European Rally Championship. Ann Wisdom is considered the first professional driver in motorsport history. Both spoke of their daring entry into the sport with apparently successful female athletes and with quintessentially British understatement. “We didn’t consider ourselves pioneers then,” Ann Wisdom said years later. We just went to the rally.
Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom paved the way for the classic Mini's remarkable career. This small British car won the overall Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967. Decades later, MINI has become the dominant brand in the most demanding endurance rally in the world. Between 2012 and 2015, MINI won the Dakar Rally four times in a row. In 2020 and 2021, two more victories in the general classification took place.
Photos: MINI