No car defined the spirit of an age better than the Mini in the 1960s. Fun, British and classless, it was one of the cultural icons of its era, appearing in films and fashion shoots, and driven by everyone from pop stars to royalty.
Mini Memories
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Above: The much-loved 1969 heist caper movie The Italian Job cemented the Mini’s position as a British design icon. Starring Michael Caine, who uttered the famous line, “You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”, the film’s producer Michael Deeley later said it was “the longest commercial for a car ever made”.
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The Beatles all owned several Minis and were often seen around town in them. Bought originally by their manager and master image-maker Brian Epstein, the boys’ Minis were modified by Harold Radford (Coachbuilders) with custom paint jobs and interiors. Paul’s incorporated several Aston Martin features, including a California Sage Green metallic paint job and Aston tail-lights.
The Beatles all owned several Minis and were regularly seen around town in them
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Model Twiggy was synonymous for many with the Swinging Sixties. Here she is photographed in 1968 at the age of 19 at the wheel of her Mini, in which – as was the case for so many young Brits of that era – she had just passed her driving test.
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Adam Adamant Lives! starring Gerald Harper, was one of the sillier TV programmes of the era. A spoof on 1960s culture, the plot revolved around Adamant, an Edwardian adventurer, travelling forward in time to have adventures in the present day. No surprise then that his vehicle of choice was a Mini Cooper S, complete with personalised number plate AA1000, sun-roof, electric windows and posh interior, all created by Harold Radford.
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As the most modern of the royals, it’s no surprise that Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon owned a Mini Cooper S during the Swinging Sixties. Modified with grille floodlights and a special bonnet badge, it’s seen here, very much in pre Health and Safety days, transporting the young David Linley home from hospital after an ear operation.
Goodwood will celebrate 60 years of the Mini with a Swinging Sixties parade at Revival, which takes place September 13–15
This article was taken from the Autumn 2019 edition of the Goodwood Magazine.
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