The ex-Works, Rauno Aaltonen/Tony Ambrose, 1964 Monte Carlo Rally Team Winning
1963 Austin/Morris Mini Cooper 'S' Rally Car

• Driven to 7th overall and 3rd in class by Aaltonen/Ambrose in the 1964 'Monte'
• Known subsequent competition and ownership history
• Present ownership since 2003
• Restored by CKL Developments
• Regular invitee at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
• Driven by Rauno Aaltonen, Paddy Hopkirk and Rosemary Smith

First registered on 12th November 1963 to the MG Car Company, this historic Mini was entered by BMC in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally. The car was entered as a 'Morris' and driven by Rauno Aaltonen/Tony Ambrose, finishing 7th overall and 3rd in class and helping BMC secure the Manufacturers' Team Prize. Another of the BMC works Mini entries, '33 EJB', driven by Paddy Hopkirk/Henry Liddon and bearing competitor number '37', had won the event outright. It was the works Minis' first major international win, and this giant-killing victory would go down in history as one of the most famous of all time. The third works car, '570 FMO', had been driven by Timo Mäkinen/Patrick Vanson to 4th overall and 2nd in class.

The Team cars were immediately retired from competition and appeared at various publicity events up and down the country. All three cars appeared at the Prestwich Hill Climb, which was covered by the BBC. Paddy Hopkirk's '33 EJB' had suffered mechanical problems so Paddy drove '569 FMO' with race number '37' to emulate the Monte-winning car and recorded best time of the day. This was the last occasion '569 FMO' appeared in public as a 'works' car and soon after, in November 1964, it was sold to favoured factory driver, Mike Woods.

In 1965 '569 FMO' appeared at the Bolton Motoring News Rally, driven by Geoff Halliwell and navigated by Mike Wood. It also appeared that same year at the Mullard Trophy Rally, this time driven by Mike Wood/Geoff Halliwell, who were the winners closely pursued by Tony Fall in his BRT-tuned Appleyard car, 'CAK 500C' (see photographs in the Mini Cooper Register June 2010 addition). The car was entered in numerous other events during that year.

'569 FMO' subsequently passed through the hands of various different owners (see list on file) before ending up in a private collection and then being sold to Bernard Griffin in the 1980s. Bernard carried out a full restoration over a period of time. Following two further owners, the second of whom, Tom Warburton, re-shelled the car in the 1990s, '569 FMO' was acquired by our vendor on 5th November 2003. Its new owner commissioned further restoration of the bodywork and a full mechanical overhaul, which was carried out by Chris Keith Lucas at CKL Developments Ltd. The Mini's first post-rebuild outing was to a private event in Scotland, where the car had spent many years of its life; this was the 'Scottish Gathering', devoted to an elite group of ex-Ecurie Ecosse cars.

In 2004 the Mini Club Register was organising a 'Minis to Monte Rally', which seemed an appropriate event to enter, especially as it was to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally, in which '569 FMO' played such an important part. In 2005 '569 FMO' was invited to attend the Vienna Motor Show to promote the new BMW Mini and appeared resplendent on the stand in its original red and white livery. Later that year '569 FMO' appeared at the MCR Day at Beaulieu with other works cars. 2005 also saw 'FMO' appear, at the invitation of Lord March, at the first of what would be many participations in the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Mini was displayed on the Rally Stage and was driven by no less than Rauno Aaltonen. When interviewed on the press day by the BBC's Tony Mason and asked "What was it like driving your old car after more than 40 years?", Rauno's reply was "Just as I remembered it".

January 2009 saw '569 FMO' again in action at Race Retro, Stoneleigh Park, where it was again driven on the rally course by Rauno Aaltonen (see report in the MCR magazine on file). That same year '569 FMO' appeared at The Gaydon Heritage Museum where it was on show next to sister car '33 EJB' for the first time for 45 years (see photographs on file). 2011 saw '569 FMO' at the HRCR Open Day, again at The Gaydon Heritage Museum. The car then underwent complete rebuilds of the engine and straight-cut gearbox, which were carried out by Rod Taylor of the Southam Mini & Metro Centre. The vendor has spent some £35,000 on the car during his ownership.

'569 FMO' has been a regular attendee at Goodwood for the last 20 years, usually driven by Rauno Aaltonen, although when Paddy Hopkirk took the wheel in 2007 he famously rolled 'FMO' onto its side! '569 FMO' has also been driven by Rosemary Smith, who drove it at the Paddy Hopkirk Gala event in Belfast.
Guaranteed a warm welcome at any number of prestigious Historic events on account of its celebrity status, '569 FMO' represents a wonderful opportunity to own a key player in one of British motor sport's finest hours.