RIP Paddy Hopkirk

[KS]

Sadly Paddy Hopkirk passed away last night. A true hero of international rallying...

[Hugo 356]

That's sad news

Some driving tips from the legend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBycDg_irbE

From the Telegraph obit; on winning the '64 Monte having started from Minsk 'Hopkirk had smuggled in caviar from the Soviet Union, intending to sell it when he got to France, but instead he and his team had a caviar party...He received a telegram from...the Beatles which read: “It’s nice to be No 1 isn’t it? Stop.” They also sent a signed photo with the message “You’re one of us now Paddy!” '

I didn't know he rallied Beetles, far left on the '54 Circuit of Ireland which he led on day 1

[jwhillracer]

A bit more, I knew he started in VW Beetles, but didn’t realise he worked in Ballsbridge.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/61930544
My brothers and I used to own a Frog-eye Sprite that he drove on the Dungarvan Hillclimb.
Truly the end of an era.
JW

[MikeB]

Folk also forget his racing exploits in single seaters and then with the BMC teams at the likes of the Targa Florio and Le Mans in the MGBs

A real all rounder.

He protested my dad’s Beetle for not carrying a spare wheel when it beat his Speedwell A35 at a Hillclimb back in the day.

[Berny]

R.I.P. Paaddy. Had the glass with him!

[911hillclimber]

Sad news to read.
One of the best.

[majordad]

Sorry to hear the passing of a true gentleman and great driver.

[bjmullan]

Sad news indeed. A gentlemen and a great all rounder. As has already been mentioned he competed at Le Mans six time (1961 - 1966) in MG's and Austin-Healey's. RIP.

[jwhillracer]

In the early 70's my brother had an Austin Healey Frog-eye Sprite that all three brothers drove all over the place. I used it for 6 months or more driving to and from work. It was a great little car, I could handbrake it anywhere as long as the lane was wider than the Sprite was long ...........
Luckily it was later fitted with a roll-over bar, because one day it met its end when a bus rear-ended it, and the roll bar saved the lived of my youngest brother, and our sister.
It wasn't worth repairing, so it was taken to a local farm which had a large hole to fill in, and was covered with a large slab of concrete.



Seven or eight years ago, my sister-in-law bought my brother a book about Paddy Hopkirk, and there was a photo of Paddy driving WZ 9303 on Dungarvan hill climb.
We had never known!

JW

[MikeB]

Did it have any Speedwell parts on it when you had it , Jonathan?

[jwhillracer]

I don’t remember, Mike. It did go very well for a 948. Ask Mervyn when you see him next, it was his car. That’s him in the photo in the early 70’s when he had hair!

[MikeB]

That’s him in the photo in the early 70’s when he had hair!

Didn’t we all