On this day in 1928, James Garner, one of Hollywood’s big three of actor petrolheads was born. Along with Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, he took an active interest in racing cars, rather than just turning up at glitzy awards receptions in the back of them.
His passion for motor racing was exemplified by his work on the film Grand Prix, in which he is said to have done all his own driving. But even before this, and perhaps with coaching from his Great Escape co-star McQueen, the love of fast road cars was ever-present. He was also involved in a race team, American International Racers, which competed at Le Mans and Daytona. His efforts were followed in the film The Racing Scene.
But despite the supercars that visited his garage over the years, two rather less than exotic cars stick out. The first is the Pontiac Trans-Am, which he owned when he was making The Rockford Files. Rockford, Garner once said, wouldn’t be able to afford a Trans-Am, so a Firebird Esprit was used instead. We’ll go with the Trans-Am, as that is what inspired him to go the Pontiac route for his TV role.
The other car is rather more surprising – a 1966 Mini Cooper S. Garner once said this was the car he regretted selling most, after he and Steve McQueen imported one each to the US after filming The Great Escape. Predictably, and rather wonderfully, as neighbours they’d race them around their neighbourhood.
But which one would you choose? Obviously a direct comparison between the two very different cars would be pointless, but which one holds more appeal as road cars today?
Power
It’s fairly obvious the Trans-Am trumps the Mini here thanks to its 7.5-litre V8. We don’t know for sure, but we’re presuming that a petrolhead chap of Garner’s calibre would go for the SD version with a more-than-healthy 290bhp on tap.
The Mini, however, makes do with 1.0-litres and 55bhp. Comprehensively outgunned? Maybe in a straight line, but the Mini isn’t called a giant killer for no reason, as we’ll see.
Handling
From winning rallies to its leading role in The Italian Job, the Mini’s light weight, incisive handling and small size means that while it may lack the oomph to keep up with the Trans-Am on the straight, show it a corner and the tiny automotive terrier will scamper round bends at speeds the Trans-Am could only dream of.
However, that’s not to say the Trans-Am is an unwieldy mess – quite the contrary; given Rockford’s abilities in manipulating a Firebird in the TV show, a Trans-Am shouldn’t be afraid of corners. Though you’d want to have somewhere near Garner’s driving skill to attempt it...
Summing up
The Trans-Am certainly has presence and whereas in years past Seventies classics and American classic were, independent of each other, not particularly viewed on fondly by the classic cognoscenti, nowadays the collective classic mind in the UK is much more
open-minded, which is great. The Trans-Am may not be the most dynamically able and certainly not the most subtle, but it is a thrilling experience. You just have to park your ego at the door and revel in that 7.5-litre V8 engine. The Trans-Am also has its own appeal thanks to Smokey and the Bandit, but in terms of film cars, the Mini is probably the most loved.
As for the Mini's adoration, it’s a love that’s stood the test of time and traverses all kind of class and gender barriers. With cheeky looks, astoundingly entertaining handling and more character than an entire season's worth of The Apprentice, it's one of motoring's finest confections. And in today’s metropolitan streets, the Mini makes more sense than ever as city transport. It’s certainly a lot cooler than a G-whizz, after all. Can’t imagine Mr Garner in one of those, either.