Patrick Barron "Paddy" Hopkirk (born 14 April 1933) is a former rally driver from Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

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He was born in Belfast and educated at Clongowes Wood College

Clongowes Wood College

Clongowes Wood College is a voluntary secondary boarding school for boys, located near Clane in County Kildare, Ireland. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1814, it is one of Ireland's oldest Catholic schools, and featured prominently in James Joyce's semi-autobiographical novel A Portrait of the...

 in County Kildare from 1945 – 1949 before attending Trinity College, Dublin

Trinity College, Dublin

Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...

 until 1953. He started his winning career in professional racing and rally driving in 1955. Alongside Henry Liddon he won the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally

Monte Carlo Rally

The Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...

 in a Mini Cooper S car number 37, license plate/registration tag 33 EJB. They are the most recent all-British crew to have won the event.

Hopkirk also travelled to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 during his career to drive for the BMC Works Team

British Motor Corporation (Australia)

British Motor Corporation was a motor manufacturing company formed in Australia in 1954 by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and Nuffield Pty Ltd. This followed the merger in 1952 of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Group in the United Kingdom to form the British Motor Corporation...

 in the annual Bathurst 500

Bathurst 1000

The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...

 race for standard production cars at the Mount Panorama Circuit

Mount Panorama Circuit

Mount Panorama Circuit is a motor racing track located in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home of the Bathurst 12 Hour motor race, held each February, and the Bathurst 1000 motor race, held each October...

. He drove at Bathurst

Bathurst, New South Wales

-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...

 in a Morris Cooper S from 1965-1967, obtaining a best result of 6th outright and 3rd in class in the 1965 Armstrong 500

1965 Armstrong 500

The 1965 Armstrong 500 was the sixth running of the Bathurst 500 touring car race. It was held on 3 October 1965 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...

 when paired with another great rally driver, Timo Mäkinen

Timo Mäkinen

Timo Mäkinen was one of the original "Flying Finns" of motor rallying. He is most famous for his hat-tricks of wins in the RAC Rally and the 1000 Lakes Rally-Career:...

 of Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

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He was elected as a life member of the British Racing Drivers' Club

British Racing Drivers' Club

The British Racing Drivers' Club is a membership body which represents the interests of professional racing drivers from the United Kingdom.-Early days:...

 in 1967, and is also president of the Historic Rally Car Register, and a patron of disability charity WheelPower

WheelPower

WheelPower is the national organisation for wheelchair sport in the United Kingdom, and aims to help people with disabilities improve their quality of life....

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He married his wife Jennifer in 1967: they have 3 children. His wife was High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire

High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire

The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times...

in 2005.

Paddy Hopkirk is also a brand of automotive accessories (for example, roof bars) named after Hopkirk.