Successful racing-car designer John Cooper was quickly won over by the sporty potential of the Morris Mini-Minor. However, the British Motor Corporation (BMC) was sceptical about the idea of a works-tuned Mini-Cooper. As far as they were concerned, the Mini was an affordable and practical small car, but it wasn't a potential sports car. After some intensive persuasion, Cooper triumphed and in 1961 the Morris Mini-Cooper was launched on the public stage. It delivered 55 b.h.p. at 6000 r.p.m., had newly developed disc brakes on the front axle and achieved a top speed of 140 km/h. The substantial demand ensured the Morris Mini-Cooper became a fixed element in the Mini series. Even its first version saw more than 12,000 units being produced by 1964.