The Italian Job Minis Film plates

Our most frequently ask Questions

1. who is copying your images

2. how did the film plates end up on the DVLA register

3. No Mk1 one Mini's were made after September 1967

Thank you to all our customers and fans for sending us images about scammers using our Miniworld show pictures on their 2008/09 website. We are aware of them using pictures of our Mini's on their website but it appears they are fooling no one so shame on them and those connected with them who condone this practice. They must think its OK to do this until they have completed their own set in 2010.

scammers use pictures of our minis

Scammer website using our pictures

We completed our first set of minis in 1989 complete with the letter 'G' prefix to match the film cars as the film plates were fictitious and not road illegal so not supplied by the DVLA, that was until 2000 onwards when the DVLA allowed any proposed registration to be registered on their system for road use without checking i.e. Film use ( Intellectual Property) they would then go to auctioned to the highest bidder which were then sold on at Cheffins auction to the new highest bidder.

Q. Why aren't your current set 1969 'G' registration.

A. The first set was built using 1969 Mk2 cars as they all had the correct registration year, no Mk1 'G' registration minis were ever made as production ended in August 1967, so other minis with the 'G' prefix with Mk1 body styling were all originally Mk2 converted to look like Mk1 like our first set, but these are not authentic just copies

The blue Mini was Gareth's first car a five year old Morris 998 Mini Cooper he purchased in 1974. The red mini was David's first car in 1985 a Austin Mk2 Coopers S which Gareth had previously restored in 1979, the white Mini was also a Austin Mk2 Cooper S but all in the wrong colour's and body type so we had allot of work modifying the shells to look like the Mk1 also painting in the correct factory colour's but they were still 'G' 1969 so registered as Mk2 on the log books. We did contact BMC in 1974 and in 1979 when I was thinking of putting the three together to see if a 1969 factory built Mk1 Cooper S existed and their reply was "We can categorically confirm they do not" production finished in 1967.

Others have used Mk2 Minis and converted them because you cannot fit 1969 registration on cars manufactured before the registration year or put another way make a car younger than it is.

Mini 30th Anniverssary 1989

So when we built our second set we wanted to be true to the original Paramount film Minis so we sort original Mk1 Minis all in their original factory colour's from new, finding a single Mk1 Coopers S was near impossible let alone three so we had to upgrade all the mechanical part to Cooper S spec or newer which was no problem as we've done this many times before but this time was allot easier than in the eighties when no one was remanufacturing Mk1 components until the mid nineties even the wheels had to be GB style as Minilite had long ceased trading so good to see them back and doing well. So with all the engine and mechanical upgrades done we now have a Mk1 Mini Cooper and two Mk1 Austin Minis all at Cooper S spec as used in the film.

tHE iTALIAN jOB fILM pLATES