As with Routemaster buses, the presence of a Mini on celluloid seems to represent a hip, quirky England, full of character. It can also portray the triumph of the small guy or underdog against all the odds. Here are just a few special Mini movie moments.

Magical Mystery Tour

In this 1967 Beatles film, John Lennon uses George Harrison's psychedelic painted Radford Mini de Ville to take part in a race.

Harrison actually owned the Mini. It was built for him by Harold Radford (Coachbuilder) Ltd in late 1965 and painted metallic black. In early 1967, the car was repainted and the psychedelic pictures were added using a book, Tantrum Art, for inspiration.

Shortly after the film the Mini was given to Eric Clapton, from whom Harrison got it back in the 1970s.

The Italian Job

This 1969 classic is surely the most famous film featuring our iconic car. Using three Mini Coopers, a couple of E-type Jaguars and a bus, Charlie, played by Michael Caine, hopes to bring Torino in Italy to a standstill, steal some gold and than escape.

It’s a comedy caper/heist movie that wears its Rule Britannia heart firmly on its sleeve, with the Minis in very patriotic red, white and blue. 

Interestingly, it could have been a very different story. The film's producers were offered massive incentives by Fiat to use Italian cars throughout the film, but stuck to their belief that the getaway cars could only ever be Minis. 

In the 2003 remake, starring Mark Wahlberg and Donald Sutherland, the Minis of the original film were replaced by the new BMW-built Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S, with the classic Mini making only a cameo appearance.  This reaffirmed the car's ultra-cool status.

Goodbye Pork Pie

This was New Zealand’s biggest film of 1981. A road movie, it follows the adventures of two very different men travelling the length of the country in a yellow Mini nicknamed Pork Pie. 

A total of four Minis were needed for filming the many stunt scenes in the film. Two were deliberately set on fire, and one had its front sawn off, a hole cut in the roof, both doors ripped off and its boot lid and seats removed.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Proving how glamorous and desirable Minis can be, Lara Croft's garage contains a whole host of exotic cars and bikes - including a Mini. Unfortunately, they all end up getting crushed when the house is trashed by the bad guys!

51st State

As unlikely as it sounds, this 2001 action thriller includes Samuel L Jackson and Robert Carlyle burning through the streets of Liverpool in a Mini Cooper.

In one scene, Elmo (Jackson) agrees to swap Carlyle’s character’s Jaguar for a Mini and pay £100 into the bargain!