THE BRAND
THE STORY OF BE COOPER
Minis are cars for those whom are passionate, that is why it is rare to own one by simple chance. We do not buy a Mini because it is small and practical. We buy a Mini for what it represents: a mythical car with a unique design, a rally car which has won numerous legendary races, a car which attracts everyone’s sympathy and built from desire.
This passion can also be transmitted and become a family affair. That is how the BE COOPER is born. The common obsession between a father and his son (Mitch & Archie) for Minis and their aspiration for digging the prettiest of pieces enabling them to perfect their Austin Morris MK1 : the search of a steering wheel, a gear stick, a pedal.
De Vinci once said: “Details make perfection and perfection is not a detail”. Perhaps not applicable to everyday life but when it is concerning something which we have a passion for, which we are obsessed with, this quote is truly relevant.
And with the desire to change the sliding window catches on their Mini MK1, began the research.
To their surprise, it was practically impossible to find this rare pearl. They could only find mediocre sets made of plastic or unfavorable second-hand sets, either incomplete or low in quality. And if per chance they did manage to find the holy grail - the fully chromed set which accentuates the vintage look - prices skyrocketed on auction sites.
BE COOPER will thus be born a few years later and today, we are immensely proud of our chromed sliding window catches set design and of its high quality.
MITCH & ARCHIE
Mitch and Archie, the story of a father and son who share a common passion: the love of vintage cars and especially the love for Minis. Mitch was born in 1959, the same year as the first Mini. Archie was born in 1991, the year the Citroen ZX was released. Good thing the father influenced the son and not the other way around, not that we would have anything against the Citroen ZX, but without this passion for Minis the BE COOPER adventure of Mitch & Archie would never have seen the light of day.
Mitch became a Mini fan at the age of 15. He was living with his father at the time and their next-door neighbor had a green Mini Cooper with a white roof. This gentleman was called Marcel and had, according to Mitch, an unbeatable class: he looked like Steve Mc Queen and dressed like Steve Mc Queen. It is thus very naturally and through his eyes of a teenager that Mitch assimilated the Mini to Marcel Mc Queen.
At the age of 18, while he was still a mechanic, Mitch bought his first Mini. It was a white MK1 with a white roof from 1962 or 1963 (he doesn't remember exactly - nothing nice about getting old, he says). And it was 23 years later that he realized his dream by starting to race a blue MK2 with a white roof from 1968, registered BABI OH.
Archie's love for Minis was born progressively through his father's contact. It wasn't easy at first because football ranked so high in his heart. He understood why his father loved classic cars, but not so much his love of Formula 1. "I don't understand how you can watch guys racing around a track for hours on TV," Archie said. "I don't understand how you can watch guys chasing a ball for hours on TV," Mitch would reply. When Archie got his driver's license, he started driving Mitch's Mini. He understood his father's love of these cars. He bought a grey 1987 Mini Mayfair as soon as he could.