and just said to themselves "Damn, I want a MINI!!". I get that all the time from friends, saying that they always thought about buying a MINI because of that movie. The thing is I got mine before I watched the movie .

 

I wanted a MINI when I saw the first Demo car that was in the showroom at Classic...

Driving by to school everyday is what hooked me.

3 years after I saw my first, I went and ordered one!

I didnt even see the italian job until maybey 6 months before I got my first Cooper!

 

saw the italian job. Didn't think much of the MINIs or the movie. I never thought of owning a MINI until this past December, always thought they were too cute and lame fixed up, a cute car trying to look mean. But for some reason I saw the light, and now I'm totally obssessed with it!!

 

To better understand the MINI's heritage and see why it was so eagerly anticipated back in 2002, I recommend that those of you who haven't seen it, also make an effort to see the original Italian Job film, starring Michael Caine.

That film has spectacular cinematography and the cars in it are fantastic! I doubt that they could ever film such a movie in those locations today....

Lame, huh? Bwahahahaahahahahaaaaaa!!!

 

ehhh idk, its just a typical 60's british movie! pretty bland.

Id rather watch a good american chase film like Vanishing Point, Bullitt or Dirty Mary Crazy Larry!

 

there was a "mini" chase in Bourne Identity too =)

 

You are clearly from a different generation, not-so. Did you happen to notice the beautiful scenery in Europe? The tiny little village lanes? The Italian Alps? I also love Bullitt....one of my all-time faves.

 

"The Movie" still has legs though....

Drove up to the guardhouse of a big pharmaceutical client the other day and the attendant said something like "Hey, that's the car from the MOVIE !!!"

He really couldn't remember the name of it, though - only that it had MINIs !!!!

B

ps - Gotta get used to this attention getting thing with my MINI... No one ever honked at me or stopped my with my 1993 Explorer !!!

 

I never could figure out why the MINIs in the later version weren't all S's.
I mean wouldn't you want them all to have the same hp, handling, etc. What if for some reason they ended up in a different car at the last minute and had been driving the S and now had the Cooper? I was really perplexed by this while watching the movie and probably missed some vital plot stuff because I was pondering . Or maybe they were all the same type and I just happened to catch one of those continuity glitches. I guess my brain works like that, I'm always getting caught on one of those details in a movie and am just bugged by it
Annette

 

was a crappy movie with a great chase scene.

The new Italian job is a crappy movie with a great chase scene!

Matt

 

I've always liked smaller cars (CRX, MR2) but had to settle on a Saturn. When the MINI appeared, I really liked the look. I didn't watch the movie until a year ago. I finally decided to get a new car and REALLY wanted a MINI. The rest is history the movie helped cultivate the sickness

 

Actually, I did say that. Though it was about the original Mini in the Italian Job when I watched it a long time ago. I had my MINI before seeing Italian Job II so I was already having fun.

 

I wanted go get one when I dropped by a dealership when it first came out. Then it got really bad when I saw the movie. It was torture I tell ya. There were numerous topics on this site about owners getting together to watch the movie. Then I finally got mine this past summer.

 

Annette, if I remember correctly from the filming of TIJ2, they wrecked at least 13 MINIs making the film. It may have been that it was easier for them to get Coopers at that time...it's all a little fuzzy now.

The local MINI enthusiasts here in L.A. were invited to a great premiere party at Paramount Studios (I think it was) to see TIJ2, and made the local news when so many caravanned down Melrose in Hollywood.

I was on my way home from my first annual roadtrip in 2003, but I went to TIJ2 with a bunch of San Diego MINIers...FUN!

 

I wanted one as soon as I read the Road & Track road test!

 

I was like those at the top of this thread... Fell in love with the car THEN watched the movie... The movie sealed the deal for me... Loved the engine sounds when they were test driving down the water way... And now I own both versions of the moive...

To answer another question... The only MCS was the CR one... But they used the MCS sounds for the other cars too even though they were MC.. Thye used up 32 MINI's to make that move too... & made the only electric powered ones to film the subway scene...

I have been addicted ever since I saw one..

 

I got my MINI in January of '03 so the movie was not a factor. As a Mini enthusiast I was, of course, very familiar w/ the original film. We followed the new film w/ great interest and attended local premiers which was great fun. It is still the only movie I saw more than 5 times during it's initial release. After showings, you'd motor out of the parking lot and kids would point, adults would gawk, and ladies would swoon. It was so cool!! Of course, driving an IB/W Cooper (just like Charlie's) didn't hurt. Neither did doing donuts on the sidewalk while dodging pedistrians. (right, that's parts an exageration.)

The funny thing is that non-MINI-owning friends have told me outright that they really enjoyed the movie a lot which surprised the heck out of me. To this day, people mention renting it, saying how fun the film was and how great the MINIs were. I have no objectivity in the matter, I must admit, but I'm glad the film has some obvious charm outside the MINI community.

As for the presence of Coopers.....yeah, they're just that freakin' bad-***!!!

 

I drove my MINI to see the movie, got out of the movie and just wanted to drive my car about 120 MPH. I resisted the urge, but it was difficult.

 

big sewer pipes to drive in, it would be like a marble in a Hamster Habitrail!

Matt

 

I had been looking at the MINIs for over a year before I bought Sting. I planned and saved until it was time to pull the trigger. When I went to order him, (early summer 04) my MA told me to hold off until the 05s were in production. With the upgrades in transmission, and other bits, it was advice well taken.

I saw the movie about 9 months before I ordered my MINI. It was the clencher. I own it on DVD and watch it from time to time. I relaly like the cars and CT ain't hard on the eyes either.

 

Nope, never thought I needed to buy a MINI after watching The Italian Job.

It had absolutely no effect on my deciding to buy a MINI.

After watching The Italian Job it di however make me want to go out and DRIVE MY MINI! The very same one I drove to the theater for the special screening of the movie that my dealer sponsored.

 

I honestly didn't care all that much for the movie the first time my wife and I NetFlixed it... Now I OWN it on DVD simply because of the MINI being a part of the flick.

 

I HAD to see the movie AFTER I bought the MINI...and after other people saw the movie, they changed their opinion from "that little clown car" to "that little speed demon..." Mick

 

That movie got me through the two month wait I had to endure. I must have watched it a billion times (that and the 12 minute Mini production video).

One of my favorite films.

 

Sure did. It was cheaper than watching "Gone in 60 Seconds" and getting a knockoff Shelby GT500.