Sussex-based Cooper Car Company boss made OBE for services to automotive industry
A Sussex businessman who continued his father's legacy in the world of cars and auto racing has been made an OBE for services to the automotive industry.
Mike Cooper, 71, was brought up in East Preston after his father, Formula 1 racing pioneer and MINI Cooper founder John Cooper, retired to the south coast in the 1970s.
The family focus became the John Cooper garage business, which was founded in Ferring, with Mike becoming heavily involved through the late 1980s and 1990s.
Mike said: "My dad was awarded the CBE and to get this honour, I am so proud. I was in the garage all the time as a child, coming home from school.
"The MINI has been very much part of my life, all the way through. I worked at the garage from the age of 18, after doing my apprenticeship.
"The MINI Cooper finished in the 1980s but Japan was interested in having them. I said to my dad we should do these tuning kits and we did that. It was very successful and Rover took it on in 1990. I remember it so well, because I remember going up with my dad."
Oxford was the home of the MINI and Mike was instrumental in ensuring production continued at the factory when the German manufacturer BMW took over. He said it was important to him that the work stayed in England and he was proud that the MINI is still built there to this day.
Mike said: "BMW wanted to bring back the MINI Cooper, so I launched it with them. I went all over around the world launching the car. Two years later, I started John Cooper Works for high-performance MINIs."
Mike, who lives in Clapham, north of Worthing, launched the John Cooper Works brand in 2002, with garages in Ferring and East Preston.
He continues the legacy of racing excellence as chair of Cooper Car Company, established by John Cooper and his father Charles Cooper in Surbiton in 1946.
The initial focus was on crafting racing cars, a journey that would reshape the world of auto racing. During the 1950s and early 1960s, Cooper's rear-engined, single-seat cars revolutionised Formula One.
Mike said: "The legacy of Cooper Car Company extends far beyond our historic achievements. Thanks to the indomitable spirit of our founders, Britain remains a thriving hub of the racing industry. Today, the Cooper name proudly lives on through our collaboration with BMW, evident in the renowned MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper S, and MINI John Cooper Works."
His passion for the MINI continues, with the launch of the motor racing series MINI Challenge in 2015 and a new Classic Mini Cooper Special Edition, unveiled just a month ago.