MiniWorld June 2019 95
I needed to crash and smash, as well
as trained stunt drivers to pilot the
vehicles, a $50,000 cash bonus and the
current top-of-the-range Ferrari as a
personal gift. This proposal was too
good to be true. But, after not much
refl ection, I had to decline. The whole
point of the movie was very clear in my
mind. The fi lm was about ‘us against
them,’ a cheeky look at the di erence
between the British and our European
neighbours. It had to be Minis.”
Michael Caine was most vocal about
the lack of interest from BMC. “It was
the greatest advert for Minis the world
has ever seen! No wonder [BMC] is out
of business. You know what I mean?
What a dumb load of b***ards they
were. That’s why the company no
longer exists! No foresight.” Even after
Deeley turned down Agnelli’s o er, Fiat
remained unbelievably co-operative,
providing the production with the three
Fiat Dinos and dozens of Fiats for the
tra c-jam sequences. Even though The
Italian Job is seen as a fi lm that waves
the Union Jack, it was a production on
which Deeley had greater cause to
say: ‘Grazie, Italia.’
Look out for more fab content on
The Italian Job fi lm in MiniWorld
magazine throughout 2019, featuring
more snippets and photos from
Matthew Field's excellent new book.
The chase begins as the Minis
decend the staircase inside
the Palazza Madama.Based on more than 50 in-depth interviews
with the cast and crew, and lavishly illustrated
with hundreds of never-before-seen
photographs and production documents,
this new book takes a fascinating, behind-
the scenes look at how the fi lm made its
way to our screens. With a foreword by Sir
Michael Caine himself, and an introduction by Producer Michael Deeley, this
book is loaded with 60s swagger and, just like the movie, is the ultimate
celebration of Cool Britannia. MiniWorld readers can order the book, with
a 10% discount o the price of £45, directly from the publishers by using
the code MINIWORLD10 when ordering online at: http://www.porterpress.co.uk
THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY:
50 YEARS OF THE ITALIAN
JOB BY MATTHEW FIELD
The getaway chase involved a lap or two
of Fiat’s Lingotto roof-top test track.