Minis in the movies (and on TV too)

[BruceK]

I'm starting this thread to feature Minis when they appear in a movie or TV show.    I enjoy seeing my favorite car on the big screen, and I thought some of you guys might too.

Here's a couple of shots from the James Bond film, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".

Bond, and his wife-to-be, are escaping the bad guys in a Mercury Cougar running through the Swiss mountains at night.  They spot a nighttime stock car race and drive onto the racetrack to mix things up, encountering several race Minis.

[BruceK]

Here's some shots from the classic movie farce, "A Shot in the Dark", featuring Mini-fanatic Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau.  It was also directed by Blake Edwards who loved Minis too. 

Both Sellers and Edwards owned copies of this movie car, modified by Radford with hand-painted wickerwork sides (don't ask me why this was "a thing"). 

The Minis also had rollup window doors (with power windows!) and other custom coachbuilt touches.  (note the little red light visible in the shot of the open door)

You can see the removed the windshield for portions of the movie filmed on a soundstage to avoid reflections from the lights.

[ADRay]

check this out:

http://www.imcdb.org

[Vikram]

James Hunt's in the movie Rush

[Merlin]

http://madmax.wikia.com/wiki/Mini_Cooper_S_1964_%22Buggy_no.8%22_aka_%22The_Mini%22

Probably my favorite

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_682014-Rover-Mini-Cooper-ADO20-1990.html

Dont forget about this illegal import.

[BruceK]

Spotted this when channel surfing - a 1996 Mini Cooper on Dr. Who.   

[BruceK]

I have to admit when I watch older movies, especially now that most can now be viewed in HD, I scan the background for interesting cars.    We all know the Mini was sold new here in the US from end of 1959 until the start of 1968, by how often do they appear "in the wild" in American movies or that time?   Virtually never.  In fact, until now I've never seen a Mini in the background of a US movie.  But I found a movie that has one.  It's a 1963 movie called "Sunday in New York" with Rod Taylor and Jane Fonda and parts of it were filmed on location.  And a Mini on the streets of the Big Apple makes a brief appearance.  It's an 850 that looks a little worse for wear with a missing front overrider and crooked license plate.

[MiniDave]

I love seeing those early Minis with their white wall tires and 10" of ground clearance!  77.gif

[LarryLebel]

You see minis in commercials from time to time as well.
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/7LDH/campbells-measuring-happiness

[BruceK]

That was brief!  But looked like a nice Mini.  Well, it was before 20+ people squeezed in.

[LarryLebel]

Here's who squeezed in.

[BruceK]

Wow.  All that for a half second of air time?

[BruceK]

I was just flipping through the channels tonight when I suddenly spotted a Moke.  It's a movie called "Having a Wild Weekend" from 1965 starring the Dave Clark Five.   

Since it is unlikely to be a good movie, I will probably record it just so I can FF though it later just to watch for interesting cars.   

[MiniDave]

Check out the extra spot lights on top of the fenders!

[BruceK]

I was just flipping through the channels tonight when I suddenly spotted a Moke.  It's a movie called "Having a Wild Weekend" from 1965 starring the Dave Clark Five.   

Since it is unlikely to be a good movie, I will probably record it just so I can FF though it later just to watch for interesting cars.

Actually, the last half hour of that movie has the Moke in every shot - there's an extended chase sequence that also involves the a Mini, an Austin 1100, and the police driving a big (for 1960s UK) Ford police car.  The Moke drives through snow and also hits the beach too.

Changing channels, sometimes on the International House Hunters show a Mini will pop up.   This one appeared on the show about a coupe looking for housing in central France - their  daily driver is a Mini.   It's interesting to see the retrofit chrome grille with the black grille surround. 

[BruceK]

A completely beat up Mini 850 Mk. I with no rear side windows and no back window played a role in the very 1980s movie "Some Kind of Wonderful".   

It had a sliver speedo from a very early car, but because it was RHD, had a fabric sunroof, and had some sort of aftermarket roll up window doors, it looks to have been a privately imported Mini rather than a US spec model.

[MiniDave]

I don't remember that movie.......I have seen those windows tho, I think they were an aftermarket conversion for the sliders.....

[gr8kornholio]

Totally lucky day.  I've been trying forever to catch the original italian job on TV, hopefully a movie channel.  Turned tv on tonight, checked velocity channel, and it was an older wheeler dealers doing a honda cvcc.  Then flipped to the few movie channels I still get and low and behold the original is starting at that exact minute.  Record is on, looking forward to watching it.   4.gif

[BruceK]

Totally lucky day.  I've been trying forever to catch the original italian job on TV, hopefully a movie channel.  Turned tv on tonight, checked velocity channel, and it was an older wheeler dealers doing a honda cvcc.  Then flipped to the few movie channels I still get and low and behold the original is starting at that exact minute.  Record is on, looking forward to watching it.   4.gif

I think you are going to like it.  The best way to see it is in HD and widescreen format be cause a lot of little stuff happens on the edges of the screen. Hope you get to see it that way.   If not, I might have a DVD of it to lend you.

[gr8kornholio]

Ok, seriously, that's how it ends.  Really.  What a cliffhanger!!! 50.gif

[BruceK]

Haha.  Yup.  There was talk about a sequel that would resolve the story of whether the gold was lost or not, but a second movie never materialized.   

Also, there's a very weird deleted scene from the Italian Job that not too many people know about. It's too surreal for the story, but it's visually interesting.

[BruceK]

Here's a documentary about the making of the movie, called "It's all about the Mini Coopers".

[BruceK]

Another Mini in an old James Bond movie - this time it's a Moke in the background - one of several - at the rocket base in "You Only Live Twice".   I used to own a Moke in the exact same color.