News : Italian Job tops the polls

The Italian Job is still the enthusiasts' favourite car film
The Italian Job is still the enthusiasts’ favourite car film

The 1969 hit The Italian Job has taken the top spot a poll held for the Classic Film Festival that takes place at this year’s Footman James Classic Motor Show held in Birmingham on 16-18 November. More than 1700 fans voted for the popular British film, with Bullitt finishing a strong second.

Film fans votes in the folowing categories – favourite classic motoring movie; favourite classic car in the movies, favourite classic bike in the movies, favourite classic car chase, favourite classic in television and the classic they would most like to see on the big screen.

The Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger and Mini-Coopers in the Italian Job were voted favourite classic cars in the movies with the Triumph in The Great Escape and the Harley Davidson in Easy Rider voted favourite classic motorbikes in the movies.  The Mini chase in The Italian Job and the Dodge Charger chase in Bullitt were voted first and second in the favourite car or bike chase category.

The Jaguar Mk2 in Inspector Morse and the Audi quattro in Ashes to Ashes were the favourite classic vehicles on television, while the E-type Jaguar and Mini-Cooper were the most popular requests for classics to star on screen. The competition poll forms part of the ‘Classic Film Festival’ which is being run by Footman James, specialist vehicle insurance broker and the Footman James Classic Motor Show.

A selection of the top films in each category will be shown as a Classic Film Festival series at Birmingham’s Electric Cinema, the oldest working cinema in the UK, in the weeks leading up to the Show in addition to being screened in the Footman James’ Vintage Cinema at the November Show.

For a chance of winning one of five pairs of tickets for the NEC Classic Motor Show, simply ‘Like’ this on Facebook.

Italian Job - one of AROnline's favourite scenes!
Italian Job – one of AROnline’s favourite scenes!
Keith Adams

10 Comments

  1. And so it should, along with Get Carter – Michael Caine was unstoppable in the 60s/early 70s. Shame on Hollywood for the rubbish remakes (and no, I’ve not seen them…..)

  2. I’d argue that Ronin ought to figure- 1990s cars might not be considered ‘classic’, but the Mighty Mercedes 450 SEL with the 6.9litre engine certainly is. And the Audi S8 and BMW 535 ought to be considered modern classics, even if they are not universally liked. No one here, I’m sure, would argue against the Citroen XM and Alfa 164 though.

    Great film, great chase sequences, and for my money- probably the best car film ever made (certainly better than Bullitt).

  3. There is no surprises in that result. Its an ingenious story, script, stunts, cast, cars, locations, makes you laugh till you cry.
    Then there’s the beautiful title song by Matt Munro.

    A Timeless classic!

  4. “Then there’s the beautiful title song by Matt Munro”…I always used to think of that when I drove my Alfa 156 through the Welsh mountains…….well, the instrument cowls were a tiny bit like a Lamborghini Miura’s……

  5. The original “Italian Job” has been one of my favourite movies ever since I first saw it as a child. The story was a good one and unlike the awful remake a few years back, it never struck me as a two-hour commercial for the car.

  6. I followed the link and I’m still none the wiser to the results! Somebody post the link!

    As for the re-make of the Italian Job – I really do like it, it stands up well I think. Ronin must be the ultimate though, XM’s being chased by Audi S8 “on nitrous”….

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