Mini celebrates historic rally win with special edition Cooper JCW

Mini Australia has announced it’ll celebrate an important moment in its motorsport history, with a new limited-edition Cooper hatch.

Only 30 examples of the Mini Cooper JCW 1965 Victory Edition are set to arrive in Australia in the second quarter (April-June) of 2026, comprising 20 internal combustion and 10 electric models of the brand’s John Cooper Works (JCW) performance hero.

Though the now-BMW-owned brand is a far cry from the original Mini, the 1965 Victory Edition is said to be “a modern tribute” to the Mini Cooper S that won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1965.

Referencing the red-and-white Cooper S from 60 years ago, the special-edition Cooper JCW is finished in the brand’s distinctive Chili Red exterior paintwork with a white stripe and roof, and features several celebratory Easter eggs inside and out.

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Most obvious is a white ’52’ graphic on the outside, referencing the original car’s racing number.

There’s also a subtle ‘1965’ badge on the outside C-pillar, while the white stripe stretches the length of the car with more ‘1965’ motifs. Additionally, ‘AJB446’ is discreetly hidden in the bonnet stripe, the original car’s registration number.

Outside, the 1965 Victory Edition can be optioned with a panoramic sunroof and, depending on the powertrain, two 18-inch alloy wheel designs. Petrol models get the ‘JCW Lap Spoke’ two-tone design, while electric models get the ‘JCW Mastery Spoke’ in black.

Other subtle exterior additions include floating wheel hubs with the ‘MINI’ wordmark and edition-specific painted valve caps.

More ‘1965’ graphics appear on the Cooper’s illuminated door sills, the bottom spoke of the steering wheel, and the centre console storage box. A plaque is also fitted inside the doors, referencing the original car and its winning drivers.

The JCW-specific anthracite/red interior colourway is unchanged, as are the mechanicals of both JCW hatches.

The petrol Cooper JCW is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 170kW of power and 380Nm, propelling the car from 0-100km/h in a claimed 6.1 seconds.

The electric Cooper JCW E, meanwhile, utilises a front-mounted electric motor producing up to 190kW and 350Nm, good for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.9 seconds. Both powertrains are front-wheel drive only.

Mini says pricing will be announced closer to the model’s arrival, but we can expect a small premium over the regular JCW hatches for what is effectively a cosmetic pack.

For context, the petrol JCW Favoured three-door hatch is priced at $60,990 before on-roads, while the electric JCW E Favoured three-door hatch costs $63,990 before on-roads.

The Mini Cooper can trace its roots back to 1959, when racing team owner John Cooper began working to convince automotive designer Alec Issigonis and the British Motor Corporation that a racing version of the original Mini microcar would be feasible.

Successful, production versions of the sporty Cooper went on sale in 1961, before the car was entered into the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally in the years that followed. Despite competing against cars with considerably more power, the Cooper’s sharp handling and go-kart-like characteristics gave it an edge on the rally’s twisty stages.

The car would go on to win the event in 1964, 1965, and 1967, with the win in ’65 the subject of the new, accordingly named 1965 Victory Edition. On that occasion, the Cooper was piloted by Timo Mäkinen and co-driver Paul Easter.

BMW acquired the rights to the Mini name when it bought its then-parent Rover in 1994. The original Mini remained in production until 2000, before the Mini brand was launched by BMW in 2001 on a new-generation hatch.

The reborn Mini Cooper hatch is now up to its fourth generation.

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