A recent survey carried out by Vue Entertainment has named 1969’s The Italian Job as the best British film ever. The iconic film follows Michael Caine as Charlie Croker, planning the heist of a lifetime. It also won the ‘Most Iconic Scene in a British Film’ award, for the Croker line “you’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”
With an all-star cast and fast-paced story, the film is deserving of its legendary reputation. Another factor that brought The Italian Job to life was the cars. They elevated it from a regular heist movie, to an all or nothing extravaganza. From the famous Mini Coopers, to the Aston Martin DB4, here are the classic cars of The Italian Job.
Lamborghini Miura
The film begins with a shot of a beautiful bright orange Lamborghini Miura. Its curves and flashy appearance grab the viewer’s attention as it drives through the Alps. Then, tragedy strikes as the Miura goes up in flames. The wreckage is pulled out of a tunnel by the Mafia and disposed of, breaking the hearts of car fans.
The Miura used to film the scene resurfaced years later, and is now owned by an English businessman.
Aston Martin DB4
Croker drives an Aston Martin DB4 as a getaway vehicle, but it’s quickly destroyed in a Mafia ambush. Despite the loss, the gang press on with their plan. There’s a belief the car was destroyed during filming, but it still exists. Instead of destroying the DB4, a Lancia was mocked up to look like the car and pushed off the cliff in the final take.
Jaguar E-Type
In addition to the DB4, two Jaguar E-Types are included in Croker’s getaway plan. The cars are a black fixed head Coupe and red roadster. Like the DB4, they are destroyed by the Mafia and pushed off a cliff.
Not much is known about the black coupe, but the 3.8L roadster is still around today. It was the 12th E-Type to be built and has been featured in a variety of shows such as Top Gear.
Mini Cooper
You can’t talk about The Italian Job without mentioning the scene with the Mini Coopers. Croker and his crew use a red, white and blue Cooper to carry out their heist in Turin. All the Minis had three-point roll cages and the back seats removed to compensate for transporting the gold.
The Minis are combined with death-defying stunts to ramp up the action. At one point, the cars are driven over rooftops in a mad dash for freedom, catapulting the scene into popular culture.
