From A to B: Tales of modern motoring (BBC4)

[Matthew_Eames]

Anybody watching this early 90's series, basically a handful of very bad (I think it may be deliberate) programmes following different groups as they drive around and talk about modern motoring.

Obviously the producers have decided to get the most "interesting" people who narrate the show themselves

Last night was all about the Company car culture of the 1990's, Sierra's, Cavalier's, Merc's and BMW's....and the status symbol that was the "i" badge (injected)

Well worth a watch if you have some time to kill, I fould it pretty funny hearing them harp on about the suit hanging in the rear window and the bonuses of their Nissan Primera having a overhead cam 16v AND fuel injected engine!

Unfortunately it's not up on I player for some reason, but may be repeated at some point

[The Black Flash]

I remember this, everyone talked about it! It was the first "fly on the wall" documentry I think, or certainly one of the first. The reps episode was legendary at the time.

Looking back (I haven't seen the repeat), I think it was quite heavily edited and people carefully chosen to make good tv, in what would now seem to be a very transparent manner.

[Muzzer]

I remember this at the time. A very early fly-on-the-wall program.

For some reason I remember very clearly a bloke with a diesel Maestro, virtually heartbroken that the company had taken away his Cavalier and replaced it with this dog slow Maestro. Can't say as I blame him in fairness

There was also a bloke with an Astra Saloon who, by all accounts, begged his fleet manager to get him an Astra Saloon instead of a Cavalier so he could have an 'i' badge and a few more toys for the same money.

IIRC, he even remembered horsepower figures and reckoned that he had a bit more respect on the road for driving a higher spec Astra instead of Chavalier

[Orb the Impaler]

Oh christ - I remember that.
I especially remember the fat sales rep who said that "'i' is for 'image'" and that he could recognise a car behind and it's spec from details like colour coded mirrors. He said that there was no way that he would ever let a lower spec car past him, but would let a higher spec car through so as to acknowledge the superior salesman I don't know how much of this is accurate in my memory, but even now, a decade later I want to kill him.

As for the saddo with the Maestro - his wife made him park it round the corner and when he came home in it they both sat down and cried

I hope this is on iPlayer...

Edit: no it's not! Gutted I really wanted to see that again.

Edit again: It's not on YouTube either, or Virgin TV on demand
Quote from another forum...

Sales Dork said:

"The "i" on the back of my Cavalier tells everyong I've made it. It
stands for "i" am "i"ncredible, "i"mportant, and it means everyone has
to get out of my way. I don't pull over for anything. Unless it has
headlamp washers because that means it's an SRi and he's more important
than my GLi. Then I pull over and nod to let him know he's more
important than me."

Edited by Orb the Impaler on Thursday 12th March 17:39

[Matthew_Eames]

it's not on I player for some reason, but your correct in your recolections

Edited by Matthew_Eames on Thursday 12th March 17:20

[Nobody You Know]

There are a hold load of car programs on BBC4 starting at 8:30 tonight.

Most looking forward to

The History of the Future: Cars. At 9:30pm

Could be interesting and a good laugh, also a load of other driving car shows on around it.

[Niiick]

I remember it the first time around and think it's a superb series.

The 1992/3 zeitgeist revealed by the Company Car Drivers was exquisitely cringe making. It spoke volumes with respect to the degree with which self respect is misunderstood.

Maslow must be spinning in his grave.

[Rob.]

Muzzer said:

For some reason I remember very clearly a bloke with a diesel Maestro, virtually heartbroken that the company had taken away his Cavalier and replaced it with this dog slow Maestro. Can't say as I blame him in fairness

I was going to ask if this was the same one I saw a long, long time ago and it seems like it is. I seem to remember this chaps wife actually crying about the Maestro?

[HereBeMonsters]

Matthew_Eames said:

their Nissan Primera having a overhead cam 16v AND fuel injected engine!

I'm sure my 1992 Primera had a 16v, and a carb. It went through 5 cats in 6 years...

[Magog]

The earlier episodes were on bbc iplayer i know because i watched several of them, hopefully this one might turn up soon, but they might have shown the earlier episodes by mistake and not be showing any more. The other episodes were really funny as well, like a bizzare time-warp, fascinating.

[aclivity]

Rob. said:

Muzzer said:

For some reason I remember very clearly a bloke with a diesel Maestro, virtually heartbroken that the company had taken away his Cavalier and replaced it with this dog slow Maestro. Can't say as I blame him in fairness

I was going to ask if this was the same one I saw a long, long time ago and it seems like it is. I seem to remember this chaps wife actually crying about the Maestro?

If it's the same one as I recall, wasn't he given the Maestro as he had asked for a diesel car?

[heebeegeetee]

Niiick said:

I remember it the first time around and think it's a superb series.

The 1992/3 zeitgeist revealed by the Company Car Drivers was exquisitely cringe making. It spoke volumes with respect to the degree with which self respect is misunderstood.

Sugar! Missed it. I do remember enjoying the company car episode, even when they started discussing the merits of different clothes hangers .

[djohnson]

I remember this.

Wasn't there one with a sales rep who'd got a XR2I and said that if someone tried to pass him on the motorway he'd speed up and if they didn't pass it was a victory?

[spitfire4v8]

Yes I saw an earlier episode on i player, I remembered it from seeing it the first time around .. the one where the posh kid got a Clio 16valve and his dad went mental lol. More metal round you was what the dad had said to his son .. dad wanted a volvo and son bought a Clio ! And the lad with the Beetle rusting away in the road .. classic TV

[Chim Chim]

spitfire4v8 said:

Yes I saw an earlier episode on i player, I remembered it from seeing it the first time around .. the one where the posh kid got a Clio 16valve and his dad went mental lol. More metal round you was what the dad had said to his son .. dad wanted a volvo and son bought a Clio ! And the lad with the Beetle rusting away in the road .. classic TV

Posh Kids dad didn't want him to get a GTI so he got the 16 "vee" to fool him!

wonder where these people are now!

[andrewrob]

Is it called from A-B? Theres something in the TV guide Thursday night BBC Four at midnight called From A-B Tales of modern motoring.

Description is...
Part of the joy of motoring season 5/5. Red Lorry Yellow Lorry: Six families reveal how their cars embody their dreams or fears for the future.

[mccrackenj]

A superb series at the time, I remember it 1st time round. One of the first of it's genre. The subjects were obviously very carefully chosen and the interviews well edited to capture just about every cliche around. The sales rep episode was a classic, as was the earlier one about kids' cars and their parents attitudes to them, wonderful.

It was so good that a few years later, when spoof documentaries of this type started appearing, I started to wonder if in fact 'A to B' was real after all.

[Don]

Orb the Impaler said:

Oh christ - I remember that.
I especially remember the fat sales rep who said that "'i' is for 'image'" and that he could recognise a car behind and it's spec from details like colour coded mirrors. He said that there was no way that he would ever let a lower spec car past him, but would let a higher spec car through so as to acknowledge the superior salesman I don't know how much of this is accurate in my memory, but even now, a decade later I want to kill him.

Alexei Sayle did a soooperb piss-take of that.

"I am driving a Cavalier 2.0"
"Ohhh. Cavalier GSi 4x4 has gone past. I give way to his superiority."
"1.8L! The bd" (pulls gun, fires out of window)

Genius.

[andy-integrale]

I too remember it first time round when I think I took it quite seriously.....

But had to watch it again last night to see the guy with the Maestro Clubman Diesel, classic stuff.

I remember as an early 90's company car driver the importance placed on things like rear head rests, fuel injection etc but these guys really took it to heart.

Great TV.

[OJ]

HereBeMonsters said:

Matthew_Eames said:

their Nissan Primera having a overhead cam 16v AND fuel injected engine!

I'm sure my 1992 Primera had a 16v, and a carb. It went through 5 cats in 6 years...

I didn't realise Japanese cars did that. I thought it was just the Koreans