Horse riding and car racing were the two sports this lively woman was passionate about. Her life was filled with both. But while riding competitions were already a common pursuit for women, could car racing just as easily bring a smile to her face? That´s difficult to imagine. In the 1950s and 1960s Pat Moss had to enter the male dominated world of racing, that was not accustomed to a female rally driver. And there were surely also disparaging comments on occasion as well as plenty of unasked for advice. For most of her sporting life gender prejudice was even more common than it is today. Many men would have rather seen her all dolled up and sitting in the stands than triumphantly standing on the winner’s podium wielding a trophy, her face smudged with motor oil. Fortunately, nowadays there are more successful female rally drivers, such as British driver Catie Munnings and Cristina Gutiérrez Herrero from Spain, than there were in her day. But in a lot of ways racing still remains a male-dominated sport. It is a world in which still many men all too often fail to recognise that women are just as competent, just as responsive and have just as much technical expertise as men do. So even in 2022 there is still much to be done in terms of equality and diversity in motorsports.

Clearly if you have a taxi all to yourself, you will also be footing the bill all by yourself. Your bank account will be happier if you split the costs. That’s why mobility services offering taxi shares are so popular. Are you supposed to be having dinner at the other end of the city, but you’re a bit low on funds at the moment? Just use one of the smartphone taxi apps to book your ride and maybe there’ll be others going your way too. Some people may get out long before you reach your destination, but then you could pick up more people too. The drive could end up being longer, but you might also meet some nice people and have a good time. Generally, you can expect to pay less for a shared taxi than a regular taxi. And it’s also better for the environment when there are several people travelling in one car through the city.

Obviously such a smashing international victory by a cult car deserves to be honoured again in a manner befitting the accomplishment. And what could be more fitting than honouring the winning team with a special edition? So on International Women’s Day, MINI is celebrating both its win and the driver with a special Pat Moss Edition. It can be ordered in over 20 countries with either a Cooper S or John Cooper Works engine. But you need to be quick. This edition will be offered for a limited time only and there are just under 1,000 available worldwide!  

One of the highlights of this edition is the Multitone Roof, which is available in red for the first time. An exciting array of colour variations can be had ranging anywhere from Chili Red to Melting Silver to Jet Black. The MINI Plant in Oxford uses an innovative painting process to make this standout design possible. MINI colour and materials designer Morgane Bavagnoli, who developed the Pat Moss Edition, also decided to incorporate a racing stripe. And for the first time in the history of MINI, the stripes run horizontally across the bonnet. Their winning registration number “737 ABL” is a cool shimmering 3D effect. Morgane Bavagnoli explains why she chose horizontal stripes, “I wanted to add an unexpected element to the design. Just like Pat Moss’s unexpected win. Suddenly a woman crossed those men's path and shaked the long-established motorsports world.”

Just as expressive and straightforward as Pat Moss’s signature and her unswerving approach to life, are the front bumper and interior features of the new Pat Moss Edition. Patricia Ann Moss (later Moss-Carlsson) was born in Thames Ditton on 27 December 1934, the younger sister of her famous brother and Formula 1 rally driver Stirling Moss. Both her father Alfred and her mother Aileen had petrol in their veins. He drove circuit races and she mountain races. At just eleven years of age, her brother Stirling is said to have taught her to drive. But at this time she was fully in love with horse riding, which she mastered to Olympic level in the following years. But once she got started with motorsports, she was hooked for life. 

Pat Moss competed in national rallies in the UK in a Morris Minor cabriolet, nicknamed “Granny”. She is said to have been a shrewd businesswoman who used the income from her equestrian activities to buy a Triumph TR2 sports car, from which she is said to have expected greater success. While other car makers didn´t give her a second thought, MG recognised her talent, potential and her fierce determination to win. They became her sponsor. So in the middle and late 1950s, she began a successful partnership with the British Motor Corporation (BMC), the brand that manufactured Austin, Morris, MG and Austin-Healey cars.  

This is how Pat Moss came to drive different models such as the Morris Minor and Austin Healey over the next few years. In the Liege-Rome-Liege Rally, she took fourth place driving the Austin Healey. This made her the first woman ever to reach the top 10 in this long-distance rally. She also won the Women’s European Championship. But she wanted to be the best. In 1960 she returned to race again in the Liege-Rome-Liege Rally, and with sheer tenacity, she won, racing the heavy Austin-Healey 3000. This also made her the first woman to win an international rally. That same year, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) presented her with the Driver of the Year Award. But the rules did not allow women to enter the club’s banquet hall and this rule had to be suspended while she was presented with her award.

Pat Moss would surely disagree with us if we gave her all the credit for her successful wins. Her long-time co-driver Ann Wisdom was instrumental in helping Pat win. For six years, from 1956 to 1962, Ann was sitting alongside Pat as both women drove in and won rallies across Europe. Interestingly, Ann suffered from bouts of carsickness. Why she would choose to subject herself to rally driving is anyone’s guess. She was, however, one of the very first women to use her exceptional navigational skills to earn money. MINI was therefore intent on ensuring that the Pat Moss Edition paid proper tribute to the competitive spirit of both these dynamic women. This is why MINI designer Morgane Bavagnoli decided to incorporate a bar made of engine pistons on the dashboard on the driver’s side so that they formed an “M” and a “W” for Moss and Wisdom. They symbolise the closeness of the pair and the seamless synergy of both automobile and engine.