Brits picked Mini chase in 'Italian Job' as best car movie scene of all time

By CARSIFU | 14 January 2020


LONDON: A study of 2,000 film fans by a major British car dealership has revealed the Mini chase in the original Italian Job is the best car movie scene of all time. The memorable six-minute-long scene, with the three iconic Mini models being pursued by police, rolling down stairs and even scaling buildings, topped the poll.

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley dashing after the Hogwarts Express in a flying Ford Anglia in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; is also considered to be one of the most memorable and exciting car scenes in movie history, according to the survey by Jardine Motors Group.

This was closely followed by the T-Birds and John Travolta singing Greased Lightning while dancing on top of the Ford De Luxe in Grease.

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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang taking off for the first time, the T-rex attacking the jeeps in Jurassic Park and Letrell singing "A Thousand Miles" in White Chicks all featured in the top 20 greatest movie car scenes.

“There are so many memorable moments featured in classic films where cars are the true stars – although not forgetting the stunt drivers who sat behind the wheel," said Jardine Motors Group digital marketing and transformation head Alex Brown.

“It’s these scenes which have made certain movies so unforgettable. Even those who haven’t seen the films in question, tend to have some recollection or knowledge of these extraordinary screen moments,” said Brown, whose company comissioned the research.

The study also found 28 per cent of adults are more likely to enjoy films featuring cars in whatever form.

More than two-thirds agreed motor vehicles are an integral part of cinema history, 68 per cent said cars feature in some of their fondest memories of movies.

Movies enthusiasts even believe one in five of the movies they watch feature cars in a primary role.

It also emerged that James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 was voted the most iconic movie car of all time.

This was followed by Doc Brown’s DeLorean from Back to the Future and the customised Paragon Panther featured in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

More than six in 10 even said they would like to see a movie car in-person and 39 per cent have even fantasised about driving a car from a movie they loved as a child.

More than a third said car chases and driving scenes can be the best thing about movies, saying they should last up to five minutes - although nearly one in 10 said the perfect movie car chase should be as long as 10 minutes or more.

“As fans of all things automotive, it’s great to see that some of the timeless classics from cinema history are still as popular as ever. This is the perfect time of year to get together with friends and family to enjoy a film, and we hope that some of these iconic scenes make your list,” said Brown.




Top 20 movie scenes featuring cars:



The Mini chase in The Italian Job
Harry and Ron chasing after the Hogwarts Express in a flying car in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The T-Birds singing Greased Lightning and dancing around the car in Grease
The moment the DeLorean leaves streams of fire as it travels in time in Back to the Future
Thelma and Louise driving over the edge of the cliff in Thelma and Louise
The final bus-on-the-mountain scene from The Italian Job
Bruce Wayne driving through Gotham in a Lamborghini Murcielago looking for a murder target in The Dark Knight
The moment Chitty Chitty Bang Bang flies for the first time in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The T-Rex attack on the jeeps in Jurassic Park
The Bohemian Rhapsody singalong in Wayne's World
The car chase scene through a Mall in Blues Brothers
Letrell sings 'A Thousand Miles' by Vanessa Carlton in White Chicks
The ending sequence in the original The Fast and the Furious
John Travolta's 'Royale with Cheese' speech from Pulp Fiction
Jack and Rose get intimate in a car aboard the Titanic in Titanic
The opening car chase scene in Baby Driver
The epic 'Eleanor' car heist from Gone in 60 Seconds
The flame-throwing guitarist atop the truck in Mad Max: Fury Road
Tom Cruise meets Jamie Foxx's taxi driver in Collateral
Marlon Brando and his brother's 'I coulda been a contender' conversation in On The Waterfront

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