World Premier: The MINI Pat Moss Edition – An Homage to a Pioneering Woman

In celebration of International Woman’s Day, MINI is taking the wraps off of an all new global special edition that pays homage to the legendary rally driver Pat Moss. With a limited run of just 800 vehicles globally, this two and four door MINI will be available globally in both Cooper S and JCW versions.
While this is just a “sticker and trim” special edition and not as involved as the recent special editions released a few weeks back, it may just be our favorite. With the Multitone Roof and the (first of its kind) horizontally graphic across the hood, it’s a great combination of vintage feel with modern design touches.
The Pat Moss Edition will be available this March and limited to 800 units globally.
The color gradient on the Multitone Roof extends from Chilli Red to Melting Silver and Jet Black. With the innovative paint finishing process fully integrated in production at the MINI plant in Oxford, this will be the first time a second color variant has been realised. It will be available for customers to order from March 2022. The roof paintwork is combined with the body finishes Pepper White or Midnight Black metallic and also red exterior mirror caps.
A stylised tulip symbolises the first rally victory: it appears on the C pillars and side scuttles of the edition vehicles along with the inscription “Pat Moss”. The wheel hub covers also feature an exclusive design with a graphic which is based on the outline of the typical Dutch flower and the MINI wordmark.
The key facts of the 1962 Tulip Rally appear below the side scuttles on the front side panels: the route Noordwijk – Monte Carlo – Noordwijk, the distance of 2 500 kilometres, the vehicle and its starting number 104. The tulip motif, the name inscription and the key facts about the first every rally win are also to be found on the screen-printed aluminium door sill trims designed exclusively for the edition model.
But the most unique design aspect (used for the first time) in the Pat Moss Edition is the horizontally aligned bonnet stripe in white. The printed combination of three-dimensional numbers and letters – 737 ABL – is the registration number of the classic Mini that won the 1962 Tulip Rally, likewise recalling the historical model. Meanwhile the original signature that Pat Moss wrote on the bonnet of her car after one of her victories adorns the front apron of the edition model as a graphic imprint.
In the interior of the edition vehicles, the iconic signature on the Piano Black interior surface in the passenger area is another tribute to the revolutionary woman rally driver, who passed away in 2008. The sports leather steering wheel bears the edition emblem in the form of a tulip graphic which appears on the clip of the lower spoke. The abstract depiction of engine pistons moving up and down serves as the motif for a graphic on the interior surface on the driver’s side. With bars of different heights forming the shape of the letters “M” and “W” – standing for “Moss” and “Wisdom” – they symbolise that perfectly coordinated duo that caused a sensation in the rally scene for so many years.
One of the remarkable details of the first rally triumph for the classic Mini is the fact that Ann Wisdom insisted on taking part in the Tulip Rally despite being pregnant at the time: she went on to provide her team mate Pat Moss with unerring navigation guidance over the 2 500 kilometre route.
Mossie and Wizz – as they were known in the paddock – formed a successful duo for seven years. The two women had the courage to compete in a male-dominated sport – and they brought about fundamental changes, too. The younger sister of Formula 1 driver Stirling Moss, Pat Moss also won the Sestriere Rally in Italy in 1968, achieved a podium finish in numerous other international competitions and was crowned European Ladies’ Rally Champion five times. Ann Wisdom is considered the first professional woman co-driver in the history of rallying. As successful sportswomen in their own right, the two viewed their courageous foray into a male-dominated domain with typical British understatement. “We didn’t see ourselves as pioneers back then,” said Ann Wisdom years later. “We were just entering a rally.”
Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom paved the way for an extraordinary career for the classic Mini. In 1964, 1965 and 1967, the British small car secured outright victory in the Monte Carlo Rally. Decades later, MINI became the dominant brand in the world’s toughest endurance rally, achieving overall victory in the Dakar Rally four times in a row from 2012 to 2015. Two more overall victories followed in 2020 and 2021.
On International Women’s Day 2022, MINI remembers a legendary female racing driver. Pat Moss made motorsport history in 1962, scoring the first international rally victory for the British brand on the prestigious Noordwijk – Monte Carlo – Noordwijk route, better known as the “International Tulip Rally”. Her victory not only kicked off the Classic MINI’s unique success story in rallying, but also caused a sensation in male-dominated racing. “Mossie” and “Wizz”, as Pat Moss and her co-pilot Ann Wisdom were called in the racing scene, managed to create facts that nobody could ignore. At a time when gender roles were predetermined, these two women unceremoniously defined them themselves. 60 years later, society has taken some decisive steps forward. And more than ever, strong women at MINI are shaping the success and image of the British premium brand.
Stefanie Wurst has been in charge of the MINI brand since February 2022. With her experience in holistic business management and her intercultural background, she is determined to electrify the British premium brand and strengthen the issue of sustainability. “It is the very idea of MINI to make economical use of resources and available space. The small ecological footprint is already in MINI’s genes, so to speak. When it comes to sustainability, our customers need to know what we are doing and why, so that they can make a conscious decision,” says Stefanie Wurst about her approach. For her, sustainable corporate governance also includes values such as diversity, tolerance and openness. “It’s not about favouring certain groups, it’s about building a modern team that reflects and understands the changing global communities well. A modern brand must be meaningful, positive and constantly evolving.”
Jennifer Treiber-Ruckenbrod is accompanying this realignment as Head of Communications for MINI and BMW Motorrad. For her, diversity and equal opportunities are part of MINI’s recipe for success: “We clearly see diversity as a strength – both within and outside our organisation – the appropriate makeup of our teams in all areas is a key factor in the creativity, innovation and ultimately success of the MINI brand.”
With her talent, courage and passion, Pat Moss in the Classic MINI left the male competition behind her – and many an established role model along as well. Now a special edition bears the name of the rally driver who died in 2008. The Pat Moss Edition for the MINI Cooper S 3-door and the MINI John Cooper Works and the MINI Cooper S 5-door will arrive at dealers in May 2022 – exactly 60 years after its triumph in the Netherlands.
Its design reflects both the brand’s racing tradition and the personal history of Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom, and also integrates MINI product innovations such as the Multitone Roof. “When there is already a strong story, as with the Pat Moss Edition, it is a pleasure to define the details, combine the elements that underline this story, choose the right colour combination and decide where to place the design features,” says Morgane Bavagnoli, the MINI designer responsible.
Her own story at MINI began in 2010 with an internship in Munich, which she was thrilled with right from the start and which was to shape her career. Almost 10 years later and after working at Designworks and BMW, Morgane Bavagnoli returned to the MINI design team. Among other things, she was responsible for the colour concept of the MINI Electric Pacesetter. Most recently, for example, she also developed the design of the décor and interior surfaces for the MINI Countryman in the “Untamed Edition”. Her heart beats for surprising details that even MINI fans may only notice at second glance. For example, the main symbol of the MINI Pat Moss Edition – the graphic of a tulip, which can be seen discreetly but unmistakably in many places. It is these special details with which designers like Morgane emphasise the individual character of a MINI and contribute to the success of the brand. “Being a designer at MINI is something special. The opportunity to get involved in completely different projects and work at different levels – from pre-development and research to concept cars and series implementation – is always refreshing,” says Morgane Bavagnoli about her personal drive.
Telling stories like Pat Moss’s is also Lina Fischer’s passion. In the MINI Editorial Office, she works on editorial marketing and the MINI Insider magazine. She has been part of MINI since 2010. The editorial production around the Pat Moss Edition focused on female empowerment in several respects. A female photographer, an editor and two female drivers for the action scenes on the road worked together for the shoot and staged the edition, which was largely designed by women. “I am proud to have worked on this project together in a team with such strong and inspiring women,” says Lina Fischer.
Verena Markart, Product Manager at MINI, also appreciates this kind of inspiration in her work. For her, the MINI community in particular is always a key driver in her work. “Unconventional, versatile, creative and self-determined personalities, for whom community and new experiences are important, motivate me every day” For her, the rally victory commemorated by the Pat Moss Edition is linked to the attitude that still applies to MINI today: “Born to compete”. The motto rounds off the Quick Facts about the legendary Tulip Rally, which are listed below the side scuttles on the front side walls: from the route Noordwijk – Monte Carlo – Noordwijk, to the distance of 2,500 kilometres and the vehicle, the Mini Cooper, to its starting number 104.
“MINI stands for thinking things differently, and that’s what I love about our brand,” says Yvonne Schrader, who heads up brand management, communications management and artwork at MINI. “I associate Pat Moss’ success above all with the motto “Only MINI can do”, turning dreams into action. Mossie” and “Wizz” already had this mindset. They dared to do the extraordinary instead of just talking about it.”
With British understatement, co-driver Ann Wisdom later recalled the success in the Classic MINI: “We didn’t see ourselves as pioneers back then, we simply drove a rally.” The MINI team firmly believes that diversity is a strength. A team of players with different backgrounds and personalities is crucial – friction is where new ideas, solutions, products and services for the MINI brand are continuously created.