Considered by motor car historians to be one of the most important designs ever created, the Austin/Morris Mini was in production for 40 years and remains today as an enduring British icon.

To many, including its designer Alec Issigonis, the notion that the Mini might have a future as anything other than being a means of basic transport, and the idea of a high-performance car was laughable.

But one man saw its potential, racing car manufacturer John Cooper.

He already had experience in tuning the BMC A-Series engine which he ran in his Formula Junior cars and a test drive in a prototype Mini convinced him of the car’s competition potential.

He eventually persuaded BMC to work together with him culminating in the birth of the Austin Mini Cooper and the Morris Mini Cooper in 1961.

Victories in the 1964, 1965 and 1967 Monte-Carlo Rallies set the more powerful Mini Cooper S, introduced in 1963, on the road to fame.

But probably the greatest publicity was gained from the, somewhat unf...