How it was almost Italian job lot of Fiats

PATRIOTISM: Michael Deeley

THE most famous car chase in British cinema history could have been very different.

Oscar-winning producer Michael Deeley was savvy enough to understand how the film could boost sales of the Mini, so he asked British Motor Corporation to provide a fleet of Mini Coopers for his film.

BMC executives only had to read the script to understand

The Italian Job was tailor-made to make a star out of the car.

But incredibly, BMC could not have cared less. Instead, it was Gianni Agnelli, Fiat’s proprietor, who knocked on Deeley’s door with an incredible offer.

The celebrated industrialist was prepared to offer Deeley as many Fiats 500s as he needed to crash, stunt drivers, a $50,000 bonus and a top-of-the-range Ferrari as a personal gift.

For the Hollywood movie moguls bank rolling the movie this was music to their ears.

But patriotism prevailed and Deeley declined the offer: “The

Italian Job was a cheeky look at the difference between the British and our European neighbours. It had to be Minis.”

Deeley did convince BMC to lend him six ex-demo models for the key action sequences.

The Minis went on to make cinema history. It was the greatest commercial for a car the world had seen.

Caine later criticised

BMC: “No wonder they’re out of business, know what I mean? No foresight.”

MAKING MOVIE

HISTORY: Sir Michael Caine starred in the iconic

film The Italian Job,

inset left