Hopkirk enters Hall of Fame.

Paddy Hopkirk, the darling of the golden years of rallying, has been honoured with a place in Irish sport's Hall of Fame, joining previous inductees George Best and Mary Peters at a ceremony organised as part of the Belfast Telegraph Sports Stars of the Year Awards.

Now 71, Hopkirk retired from international rallying in 1970, but remains one of the sport's best-known and loved stars. The most famous achievement of his glittering career was overall victory on the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally, where he took on and beat all-comers at the wheel of the giant-killing Mini. In those days, winning the Monte was front-page news worldwide and Hopkirk, co-driver Henry Liddon and the Mini were all flown home to appear live on British television's Sunday Night at the London Palladium, ensuring them of instant 'household name' status.

"As a Belfast lad, it gives me enormous pride to be recognised in this way, and it is a real honour to be ranked alongside such Irish national heroes as George Best and Mary Peters," Hopkirk said, after receiving his award from Olympic swimming star Sharron Davies, "This Awards night is one I shall not forget."

Hopkirk continues to succeed today, albeit in business rather than on the stages, and runs an automotive sales and marketing company called Smarter Direct, which represents numerous accessory, safety and emergency product manufacturers, many of whom carry the Paddy Hopkirk 'signature' brand. His rallying fame lives on, however, and, only last year, BMW built a limited edition Paddy Hopkirk/Monte Carlo Rally version of the new Cooper S for the American market. It was launched at the Chicago motorshow by the man himself and sold out immediately.