Mini cooper named best movie car of all time

The three Mini Coopers from the international block-buster ‘The Italian Job’ have been named the top movie cars of all time in a survey by Uniroyal tyres.

The popular Mk1 Austin Mini Cooper S’s in true British blue, white and red, beat off over 20 other nominees to take the number one spot in a poll of over 2,000 movie fans.

Everyone’s favourite artificial intelligence super computer car, KITT, from ‘Knight Rider’ came in at number two, followed closely by James Bond’s ultra-cool Aston Martin Vanquish from ‘Die Another Day’. Herbie 53, also known as the Love Bug, scooped fourth place, while mad scientist, Dr Emmett Brown’s modified De Lorean DMC-12 from ‘Back to the Future’, took fifth.

Another flying car - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang from the 1964 film of the same name – came sixth. Swooping in at number seven was superhero Batman’s Batmobile which has developed over the decades, incorporating even more gadgets and technology. Another car which is no stranger to change is the General Lee from ‘The Dukes of Hazard’, in at number eight. Starting off in the TV series, the General Lee has seen a change in colour and even model but careful cinematography has ensured that it has kept true to its roots.

Number nine was every girl’s dream, the pink Rolls-Royce with the fantabulous number plate, ‘FAB1’, owned by the glamorous Lady Penelope in ‘Thunderbirds’ and chauffeured by the loyal Parker. Rounding off the top ten was the trusted Autobot Bumblebee from the 2007 remake ‘Transformers’, directed by movie legend Steven Spielberg.

The complete top ten movie cars was as follows:

1.    Mini Cooper, The Italian Job

2.    KITT, Knight Rider

3.    Aston Martin, Die Another Day

4.    Herbie 53, Herbie

5.    De Lorean, Back to the Future

6.    Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

7.    Batmobile, Batman

8.    General Lee, The Dukes of Hazard

9.    Lady Penelope’s Rolls Royce, Thunderbirds

10. Bumblebee, Transformers

Tracey Hyem, brand manager at Uniroyal said: “The survey shows that it’s not always actors who are the stars of the show. We were overwhelmed by the number of entries, ranging from top blockbusters to small independent films. It shows that Brits are really passionate about their cars and that they are constantly looking for inspiration from movies and television shows.”

For more information about Uniroyal tyres, log on to www.uniroyal-online.co.uk.

About Uniroyal

For more than 30 years, the Uniroyal brand has represented high-level expertise in the development of rain tyres. As the inventor of the rain tyre, Uniroyal has always been synonymous with the very best in wet weather tyre technology. Every Uniroyal product is uncompromisingly designed to provide optimum performance and safety in the wet. Uniroyal is consistently awarded high accolades in consumer tests.

Issued on behalf of Continental by Bright, 10 St Catherine’s Court, Herbert Road, Solihull, West Midlands, B91 3QE For further information please contact Laura Mason/Leona Abson/Claire Jennings at Bright on Tel: +44 (0) 121 711 5000 Fax: +44 (0) 121 711 5001 or Email: laura@bright-consultancy.co.uk.