Event details
We are embarking on this new, exciting journey.
On the lower field at Stoke Aldermoor, Coventry, along the original route of the Italian Job we are going to lay 42m long surface tunnels so minis can retrace the route Charlie Croker and his team took while making their escape with a boot full of gold. The overall route is 2 km long and starts from the Corpus Christi Church leading to Copsewood Sports and Social Club.
We offer you the chance to be part of something truly great. This event is free for all the drivers.
Only 600 driving spaces are available!
Route
The rally is 2 km long travelling along a route that does not use a public road; all in the spirit of the film.
Starting in front of Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, next to the Corpus Christi RC Church, the route takes you through to an infants school exiting on the pedestrian path that cuts through the green field.
The path leads to a concrete steel railing bridge spanning the river Sowe and passing via the subway under the A4082 Allard Way. This opens up to the location of the commemorative plaque that marks the spot the Minis were lowered into the sewer to make the film The Italian job.
Travelling 100 yards further and doing a hairpin bend, drivers go between an opening with a palisade fence and trees to each side. This opens up to a beautiful open green field known locally as the lower Stoke Aldermoor field (Sowe Valley).
Travelling in an easterly direction hugging the route Remy Julienne would have taken in 1969 10 feet below when he built up the speed to attempt the famous “loop the loop”. We reach the exact point where the stunt was attempted.
Located at this point are surface-laid 42 m-long tunnels. These are built so classic Minis can retrace the route Charlie Croker and his team took while making their escape with a boot full of gold.
Exiting the tunnel you travel to the furthest end of the field towards Yew Close, Sharp right onto a pathway linking Stoke Aldermoor to Ernsford Grange.
Travel under A4082 Allard Way 120 m then sharp left through a temporary opening overlooked by Steam engine terminus ,cutting through a small wooded area along a purpose built hard-standing road .. Bridging the Copsewood Miniature Railway lines and enter the lush well kept flat field known as Copsewood Sports field..
Cut to the chase and get involved in the Coventry Italian Job Re-enactment
Calling all Mini owners and Self-preservation Society members – now’s your chance to celebrate one of the most famous car chases in movie history at the site where it all took place.
Following six years of research, Kevin Conway, the driving force behind the Coventry Mini Club, identified the exact location in Stoke Aldermoor, Coventry where the sewer chase scene from The Italian Job was filmed. Determined to celebrate a truly iconic moment in British automotive history, Kevin used good old-fashioned detective work to both identify the site and track down some of the key players from the memorable scene.
“Once I’d worked out where the route was, I got talking to a local who knew the crane driver, a chap called Neville Goode, who lowered the stunt minis into the sewer. I tracked Neville down and he helped confirm exactly where the stunt took place.
“In 2019, a plaque was installed and to celebrate the occasion, the original Italian Job stunt driver, Remy Julienne, turned up to join in the fun and donate a pair of gloves to replace the ones he’d borrowed from the crane driver all those years ago. He was joined by actor David Salamone and Matthew Fields, author of the book The Self Preservation Society. Bentley provided two chauffeur-driven cars and BMW also sent the 10 millionth production Mini to add some extra gloss to the occasion.”
Fast forward three years and preparations for the Coventry Italian Job Re-enactment event are being finalised. It’s free for the drivers and is taking place between July 15-16, 2023. A 2km route has been prepared, much of it off-road on a specially commissioned track, and Mini owners are invited to come along and follow in the footsteps of their 1960s counterparts.
“The route follows the original journey made by the Italian Job drivers and finishes at the Copsewood Sports Centre,” said Kevin. We’ve organised a number of events, including a display of original cars from the movie, an exhibition of Italian Job props and a host of fan club memorabilia. We’re planning an extravaganza and we’ve even arranged an explosive finale that may well see the doors, or maybe even a lot more, blown off a post office truck to really go out with a bang!”
EVENT SPONSORS
Charity Docks
