50 years after the big victory: Rauno Aaltonen lines up at the start driving the classic Mini in the Monte Carlo Rally Historique 2017

Munich/Monte Carlo. The winning car seemed to be absolutely minute, but the cheering was epic. Relief, pride, and a certain amount of satisfaction mingled with enthusiasm when Finnish driver Rauno Aaltonen steered a BMW Competition Departement Mini Cooper S across the finishing line as overall winner of the 36th Monte Carlo Rally on 20 January back in 1967. This was already the Mini’s third triumph in Monaco after the victories in 1964 and 1965. Yet the win also had particularly symbolic power. The year before, the driver of the little British car believed it had secured a win for the third race in succession but the Mini was then disqualified by the race officials in a decision that drivers and fans alike still find difficult to comprehend even today. The empathy felt by the race-going spectators for the David in the field of high-powered Goliaths actually increased as a result of this outcome. And thanks to Aaltonen’s driving skills, the classic Mini had now delivered the appropriate riposte.

Up until today, the three title wins gained in the Monte Carlo Rally have defined the quintessential sporting cachet enjoyed by the brand. These successes were highlighted at the production anniversary held at the MINI plant in Oxford and at the debut of the new MINI John Cooper Works Countryman. And even the MINI John Cooper Works Rally developed for the Dakar Rally – the ultimate endurance test in the modern world – continues to reflect the glory of the three-times “Monte” winner. The fascination remains unbroken and this continues to be the case on the 50th anniversary of the victory that ultimately transformed the classic Mini into a motor-sport legend.

Rauno Aaltonen has decided to celebrate the anniversary in a way dear to his own heart. He will be getting into the cockpit of a classic Mini, taking on the hardships of a drive to Monaco over a distance of nearly 1 250 kilometres, and steering the diminutive British car up and down the steep mountain roads through France’s Maritime Alps, looking for the perfect braking point on icy surfaces. This is where average drivers in modern cars today can’t even identify the second or third best braking point. In short, just a few weeks after his 79th birthday, Aaltonon will be competing in the Monte Carlo Rally Historique 2017. And he muses out loud as to how great it would be if he were to win the race again, 50 years after his great triumph, and stand once more on the winners’ podium at Port Hercule in Monaco.

Rauno Altonen wants to take a more measured approach to racing in the new edition of the race 50 years later. The Monte Carlo Rally Historique is being staged as a reliability rally. This means that low speeds and excessively high speeds can be punished with penalty points. Aaltonen and Sylvan are also starting the race in the class of “Low Average Speed”. They are therefore relying on routine and precision. And they are looking for victory, as a very special detail indicates. Their classic Mini bears the start number 177. This is the exact sequence of figures that became a lucky number for the winning car in 1967.