Mini – The Car’s The Star

The Mini was a hugely successful car, it still is, and there’s no doubting that – just take a look at the number currently for sale on our classifieds. Instantly recognisable and adored by people the world over the Mini became a symbol for the swinging sixties after it was released and immediately cemented itself as a British motoring and style icon. It’s no surprise then that Hollywood wanted a piece of the action, clamouring to cast this new sensation on the big screen.

The humble but hugely characterful Mini was destined for celebrity status, often overshadowing its co stars along the way and blowing the doors off of the box office in the process. So let’s get a bloomin’ move on and take a look back at some of the big screen highlights of a career spanning over sixty years.

1) The Italian Job – 1969

Would the Mini be as revered today if it wasn’t for the appearance of the trio of red, white and blue Coopers causing havoc in Peter Collinson’s 1959 comedy caper The Italian Job? Arguably not, and the film showcased just how capable and fun the Mini was. Used as the getaway vehicles following a gold bullion heist in Turin the three cars tear up the streets, sewers and even rooftops of the Italian city in a bid to evade the pursuing Carabinieri, culminating in one of the best and most literal cliffhangers in cinema history.

The classic sight of the three Minis rolling down the steps of Gran Madre di Dio is an iconic one and had throngs of people rushing out to hand over their hard-earned for a piece of that Mini legacy. The film’s writer Troy Kennedy-Martin said that he used the Mini because he wanted to capitalise on that legacy, stating that the car was what made the Sixties the Sixties: “It was full of character, it was very British. I was attempting to show this modern, young Britain, and the Mini was right at the centre of it”. Quite right and the Mini remains a large part of British culture, thanks in part to Sir Michael Caine and his Italian adventure.

2) The Bourne Identity – 2002

Fast forward to 2002 and Doug Lyman’s actioner based on Robert Ludlum’s successful series of spy novels had plenty of thrills and spills. A far cry from the classic Bond flicks like Goldfinger where we see a suave Sean Connery behind the wheel of that Aston Martin DB5 with a superimposed chase happening in the background. The Bourne Identity, however, showcased a much higher level of realism with the titular character trading blows and driving cars with an authenticity that was hitherto unmatched.

Not quite a Cooper but still thrashed to within an inch of its life, Matt Damon’s super sleuth Jason Bourne pilots a 1989 MkV Mini Mayfair through the streets and down the steps (an obvious nod to The Italian Job) of Paris with the cops hot on his tail after being spotted by the French 5-0. Perfectly suited to the narrow, traffic-laden highways and byways of the French capital the small, chuckable Mini makes for the perfect getaway car and this particular sequence goes down in history as one of the all time great movie car chases.

3) Austin Powers in Goldmember – 2002

Talking of James Bond and Goldfinger, that leads us neatly on to the third movie in our list – the spy spoof and final instalment in the Austin Powers trilogy, Goldmember. A continuation of the parodical theme established by the first two films, Goldmember sees Mike Myers’ British spy Austin Powers take on the nefarious Dr Evil and Goldmember (both played by Myers) as they attempt to use a tractor beam to collide meteors with earth.

Powers predictably saves the day in hilarious fashion with his steed of choice being a self-driving version of the BMW-era Mini Cooper, emblazoned rather patriotically with the Union Jack flag. The car features in a chase with Goldmember himself and has Michael Caine again returning to the passenger seat, extolling the Mini’s virtues by claiming: “It’s not the size but how you use it”. Indeed.

4) Mr Bean – 1990

Another iconic Brit now in the shape of Mr Bean although it could be argued that he plays second fiddle to his 1980s MkIV citron-green Mini 1000. Identifiably part of Rowan Atkinson’s hugely successful, hapless character who he himself describes as a child in a man’s body, Bean’s Mini features in many of his sketches, both feature films; Bean and Mr Bean’s Holiday and even the animated series. With its infamous padlock security system and black bonnet the car is a unique character in itself.

Probably most well-known for the scene in the Do-It-Yourself Mr. Bean episode where Bean takes to the roof of his mini in an armchair having filled the cockpit with decorating paraphernalia. He rigs up a primitive mechanism to allow him to man the controls from his new, lofty driving position and proceeds to take to the roads culminating in a crash into the back of a truck full of feather pillows – a stunt that Atkinson would go on to recreate at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2009.

5) The Italian Job – 2003

No, despite what you may have heard we haven’t gone mad. They remade the Italian Job in 2003 and cast the new generation of Minis in place of the original Coopers of the 1969 film. Although the 2003 remake that nobody asked for pales in comparison to the film upon which it was based there are still some great driving scenes to enjoy courtesy of the three modern Minis.

The premise remains the same with a gold robbery being a major plot point and the Minis being used to transport the loot at the hands of Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron and Jason Statham, although Los Angeles replaces Turin as the geographical backdrop. The escape route includes tunnels, a golf course and city streets with a helicopter and the police in hot pursuit and with plenty of stunts along the way. It’s obviously a slicker production the second time around but it has none of the charm of the original so we’re off to drop our plates of meat right up on the seat and watch the Michael Caine version.