The Monte Carlo Rally 

Starting from different parts of Europe, and all converging on the principality of Monaco in the riviera sunshine, the Monte Carlo Rally was surely the highest prifile event of the international calender.  Both drivers and manufacturers striving to gain winning spots infront of the world.

The BMC team won the Monte officially three times.

1964  Paddy Hopkirk/Henry Liddon in  33 EJB . Paddy succesfully beat off stiff opposition   from the Ford Falcon team. Paddy and Henry returned to appear on stage at the London Paladium, such was the euphoria surrounding their win.

1965 Timo Makinen/Paul Easter in AJB 44B   Timo and Paul put up a fantastic effort, pushing on through the worst snow conditions, to finish the event where many others failed to finish.

1966 Disqualification see below.

The team technically won, the minis finishing with Timo 1st GRX 555D , Rauno 2nd GRX 55D , and Paddy 3rd GRX 5D .

The French suspected cheating and immediately dissasembled the minis.  The cars were gone over and over, with the organisers intent on proving that the English were cheating. Eventually they announced that the headlamp bulbs were illegal, and pronounced Citroen to be the winners. BMC undoubtedly gained more publicity from the disqualification than they would have done by winning.

1967 Rauno Aaltonen/Henry Liddon in  LBL 6D   Rauno's extreme performance was sweet revenge after the previous year. With stiff opposition as usual from Vic Elford in the Porsche, this was a fitting finale to the Team under the proffessional guidance of Stuart Turner.

BMC entries (Minis)

1960

618 AOG,  850cc mini, P Riley/R Jones, 23rd o/a.

TMO 561,  850cc mini, D Morley/E Morley, 33rd o/a.

619 AOG,  850cc mini, T Wisdom/J Hay, 55th o/a.

TMO 560, 850cc mini, A Pitts/A Ambrose, 73rd o/a.

617 AOG, 850cc mini, N Mitchell/P Allison, retired.

TMO 559,  850cc mini, P Ozanne/N Gilmour, retired.

1961

TMO 559,  850cc mini, P Garnier/R Jones, retired.

TMO 560, 850cc mini, T Christie/N Paterson, retired.

TMO 561,  850cc mini, D Astle/S Wooley, retired.

1962

737 ABL,  997 Cooper,   P Moss/A Wisdom, 26th o/a 7th class.

363 DOC,  850cc mini, R Jones/P Morgan, 77th o/a 3rd class.

11 NYB,  997 Cooper, R Aaltonen/G Mabbs, crashed and burnt out.

1963

977 ARX,   997 Cooper,   R Aaltonen/A Ambrose 3rd overall, 1st class.

407 ARX,  997 Cooper, P Hopkirk/J Scott, 6th o/a  2nd class.

737 ABL,   997 Cooper, P Mayman/V Domleo, 28th o/a.

477 BBL,   997 Cooper, L Morrison/B Culcheth, 44th o/a 1st class.

1964

33 EJB,  1071 Cooper S, P Hopkirk/H Liddon, 1st o/a 1st class

570 FMO,  1071 Cooper S, T Makinen/P Vanson, 4th o/a 2nd class.

569 FMO, 1071 Cooper S,  R Aaltonen/A Ambrose, 7th o/a 3rd class.

477 BBL,  997 Cooper, R Baxter/E McMillan, 43rd o/a 2nd class. (Tomorrows World!)

277 EBL,  1071 Cooper S, P Mayman/V Domleo, crashed.

18 CRX, 1071 Cooper S, J Thompson/F Heys, crashed.

BMC entries (Minis) cont.

1965

AJB 44B,  1275 Cooper S, T Makinen/P Easter, 1st o/a 1st class.

CRX 91B,  1275 Cooper S, P Hopkirk/H Liddon, 26th o/a 1st class.

CRX 90B,  1275 Cooper S,D Morley/E Morley,  27th o/a 2nd class

CRX 88B, 1275 Cooper S, R Aaltonen/A Ambrose, retired.

AGU 780B, 1275 Cooper S, H Kallstrom/R Haakansson, retired. (green/white)

8 EMO,  1275 Cooper S, R Baxter/J Scott, retired. (Tomorrows World!)

1966

GRX 555D,  1275 Cooper S, T Makinen/P Easter, disqualified.

GRX 55D, 1275 Cooper S, R Aaltonen/A Ambrose, disqualified.

GRX 5D,  1275 Cooper S, P Hopkirk/H Liddon, disqualified.

GRX 195D,  1275 Cooper S, R Baxter/J Scott, disqualified. (Tomorrows World!)

1967

LBL 6D, 1275 Cooper S, R Aaltonen/A Ambrose, 1st o/a 1st class.

LBL 666D,  1275 Cooper S, P Hopkirk/H Liddon, 6th o/a 5th class.

LBL 606D,  1275 Cooper S, T Fall/R Joss, 10th o/a.

HJB 656D,  1275 Cooper S, S Lampinen/M Wood, 15th o/a.

LBL 66D,  1275 Cooper S, T Makinen/P Easter, 41st o/a.

1968

ORX 7F, 1275 Cooper S, R Aaltonen/H Liddon, 3rd o/a 1st cat.

ORX 707F,  1275 Cooper S, T Fall/M Wood, 4th o/a 2nd cat.

ORX 777F,  1275 Cooper S, P Hopkirk/R Crellin, 5th o/a 3rd cat.

ORX 77F,  1275 Cooper S, T Makinen/P Easter, 55th o/a.