RIP Paddy Hopkirk

[khyndart in CA]

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Paddy Hopkirk, a wonderful driver who made the Mini Cooper famous.
I only saw him once at Pukekohe in October 1965.
This short clip shows him in action on the front straight at Pukekohe.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AQCFoWSXEU



Thanks for the memories Paddy.
(Ken H)

[Roger Dowding]

RIP Paddy Hopkirk.

Ken H, I was at Pukekohe for that meeting - the first time I had been to a Motor Race meeting, apart from Speedway at Western Springs.
Yes, had stood outside the track in 1964, The first time I had a Ticket.

Here is my photo of the Mini-Spinning demonstration .. as you can see was a long way from the action.
Taken on my Grandmothers Leica Camera - I only had a Brownie Starlet at the time.

Paddy Hopkirk was a hero of mine and used to have the Castrol Booklets that came out each year with his exploits in both Mini's and Austin Healey's for the BMC Works Team.

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[Ray Bell]

Paddy had some interesting experiences in Australia, too...

He was high in the running in the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon in an Austin 1800 and competed at Bathurst in Minis.

Sadly, on the same day as he died, Max Stahl also passed away following a stroke. Max had just turned 87.

Here's a pic with both of them in it, you might recognise the venue and the other party in the shot, Timo Makinen:

https://i.postimg.cc/mgY3FmYb/1965-RCN-Stahl-Hopkirk-Makinen-TNF.jpg

This pic was scanned from Racing Car News, the magazine Max edited for over twenty years.

[khyndart in CA]

The Pukekohe promoters certainly advertised Paddy Hopkirk's name very well in the 1965 race day programme.
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