Mini adventures Classic cars gear up for return to international rallying

MINIS are making a full return to international rallying - more than 40 years after the automotive icons set Monte Carlo alight in their racing heyday.

German manufacturer BMW announced yesterday that the car will begin a phased return to the World Rally Championship next year, before contesting the entire championship from 2012 for "several years".

It will be an eagerly anticipated return for one of rallying's most unexpected star performers. Conceived as a thrifty vehicle during the 1950s fuel crisis, the car came to symbolise the Swinging Sixties Britain after wowing celebrities, including the Beatles.

But it was the Cooper S victories at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, '65 and '67 that earned the British car its cult global status.

"The success enjoyed on the rally circuit has made a vital contribution to the image of the brand," BMW executive Ian Robertson said. "I am convinced we will add a few more chapters to our success story in rallying."

The classic Mini has made occasional appearances on the rallying circuit, but yesterday's announcement marks a full-scale return to the sport.