The first Coopers appeared in September 1961 offering superior performance with an engine that jumped from 848 cc to 997 cc and from 35 to 56 hp, stretching the top speed from 116 km/h to 141 km/h. And the acceleration to 100 km/h no longer took 30 seconds of the Englishman's life, but 18 seconds. Shorter transmission, recalibrated suspensions and resized brakes reinforced the sporting spirit. Which led the model to dive into competitions in the 1960s.