Old Top Gear 1991 - Company Cars

Jeremy clarkson looks at the company car in Britain and looks at the effectiveness of it. Taken from season 14, episode 3.

[@munnsie100]

4:24 James May's long lost uncle

[@eumoria]

Charlie M hahahahaha

[@slygoosemedia]

Charlie M Naiiiiled it.

[@munnsie100]

*acts like on-stage comedian* Thank you all so much :-)

[@Boborodful]

Charlie M lmao

[@TVperson1]

Married to his giddy aunt?

[@shankarbalan3813]

Incredible how Jeremy has changed in the last 27 odd years....

[@bombadilian]

27 years is a long time, like...

[@archmage7813]

He has basically become a caricature of himself.

[@tabsntoot]

True but he hasn’t aged well he looks a wreck

[@FreqyBiker]

one thing makes this video look dated; its not Clarkson, it's not the cars or the prices... it's the Radio Rentals man delivering a hulking 14inch 'portable' telly.

[@dixienormus5606]

FreqyBiker hahaha well spotted 😂😂

[@Samspianopage]

Well it was 1991 or so. 14 inch portables were what alot of folk had especially in their bedrooms LOL. We forget that with our 55+ inch SMART Telly's nowadays that we take for granted. Bet that's still sitting in his loft if he still lives there HAHAHA and probably still works.

[@RobertNixon]

A glimpse of the future Clarkson at 5:32

[@bill1682]

Robert Nixon poweeeer

[@sharpfalcon6196]

"Will you get out of the way?"

[@allthestroke88]

The big cheese gets a Rover Sterling. WOW.

[@dixienormus5606]

Darryl Fraser 😂😂😂👍

[@CynicalBastard511]

Not even the V6 one, though. Just the 2.0i.

[@billjoe2080]

0:27 Anyone noticed that the higher the position the less hair they had.

[@oddities-whatnot]

That office car park is like an open air motor museum. Fantastic to see those cars new. The Rover 800 was a brilliant car in its day. Best thing they made in my opinion. Fetched one of those back from Cornwall in 1991, it was very quick compared to a lot of other cars in the same class at the time.

[@gelatinous6915]

To think that it used to be common for people to get company cars... now we're lucky to be able to afford the month's rent

[@Lovetoall1432]

To think that this well spoken man became Jeremy Clarkson 😂

[@PiggyWiggyO]

WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED??????😫

[@numberthread2493]

4:13 as you can see James may has in fact gotten younger since 1991.

[@quackingplatypus]

OH MY GOD ITS CLARKSON WITH AN AFRO. MY DAY IS COMPLETE.

[@VegardMinde]

I like this older more factual Top Gear.

[@oddities-whatnot]

VegardMinde it was brilliant in this format. A nice relaxing to watch TV show with reviews of ordinary cars that the majority of the public buy.

[@foreignhour2388]

Ngl I do enjoy Top Gear with Clarkson, Hammond, and May. It's very fun But it would've been nice if they kept a "sister show," an accompanying Top Gear that was more informative like the Top Gear of old. It would be so nice to have an informational show on cars right now

[@shlimothy]

@@foreignhour2388 It's kind of what Fifth Gear became, a lot of the presenters and formatting from the original Top Gear moved over to channel 5

[@n1thmusic229]

yes but I prefer the new grand tour

[@dannyhtheretrogamingmaster9548]

looking at this video Clarkson has definitely lived his life in reverse to the rest of us. He has gone from being reasonably environmentally conscious to not really caring and craving more power.

[@TomCro73]

And why not?!

[@edyaqubi1852]

It was good to see Jeremy cared about people and the environment 😁

[@kernals12]

5:21 That Rover died just 4 years after this RIP

[@toxy3580]

no it didnt

[@JohnCitizenDU]

It did. H978 AHU was last taxed 1 October 1995...

[@CynicalBastard511]

John Citizen stolen probably. Insurance company wrote it off.

[@starPacific]

wtf... did I just hear Jeremy talk about the cars having effects on the environment?

[@aredub1847]

well he was much less rich back then. now he has tax shelters in the isle of man.

[@terrancedactielle5460]

Yes, he seems to have lost hair and brain cells since then.

[@JohnCitizenDU]

Looks like most lasted 10-13 years...bar the Escort and the 416, which lasted just 5 years! E73 JBV (1987 Escort, 0:37): Taxed until 25 August 1992 H556 FTM (1991 Cavalier, 0:50): Taxed until 1 September 2004 G797 TFK (1990 Astravan, 2:04): Taxed until 8 August 2002 F238 GNF (1988 820, 3:01): Taxed until 1 March 2001 H690 FGS (1990 Cavalier, 3:08): Taxed until 22 January 2004 H926 GHF (1990 Granada, 3:18): Taxed until 1 May 2003 E941 JUY (1988 Montego, 4:38): Taxed until 1 July 1999 H978 AHU (1990 416, 5:20): Taxed until 1 October 1995

[@iainmclaughlan1557]

John Citizen thanks, you saved me looking all of those up.

[@BigMacMick]

or they could have been re registered under a private reg ;)

[@JohnCitizenDU]

@@BigMacMick I mean, that's not impossible but there's a good chance that these are gone now.

[@Markustajahoyrylaiva]

@@JohnCitizenDU thanks for taking time to do that

[@chriso8485]

Intersting that some lasted just 13/14 years. Very common to see 05/06/07/08 etc plates on the road these days (2022) Cars seem to be lasting much longer. I'm sure aluminium panels has something to do with it!

[@Baj64]

4:15 James May's father.

[@CharlieGB03]

Haha lol

[@andrewrcmadwilkinson6999]

OR IS IT JAMES MAY?

[@Dreamcee]

Its like the 'spitting image' version of james may lmfao

[@robin1987100]

ha, clarckson on global warming.

[@billybellend1155]

When this was filmed Peugeot still made decent cars.

[@mattludlam2194]

They still do

[@oddities-whatnot]

Peugeot 205 GTi and the 306 were great cars. Solid and reliable. Today they are just over styled rubbish. Car makers are trying too hard to make cars modern, but in doing so they are taking things too far. You end up with pretentious looking pointless external body trim, big silly screens on the dashboard and just downright weird designs in Citroens etc with handbrakes in the ceiling, heated carpets, interior lights that change colours, its all just rubbish that wont last, will go wrong and will date very quickly. Cars are becoming far too reliant on electronics and computers for every single function, and are not made as solid as they were 30 years ago. Young drivers will think im talking shite, but us older folk know better :)

[@oddities-whatnot]

Matt Ludlam no they dont. French rubbish, style over substance. Best cars to get for long term ownership, NOT PCP lease crap which are a waste of money are brands that wont cost you a fortune out of warranty. Forget German cars unless you can afford to buy them outright in the first place. Stick to Ford, Toyota or Subaru. Yes Subaru. We are talking LONG term ownership and you cant beat those three. Plenty model in the range from those manufacturers to suit all tastes. People lose so much money trading in every three years or so, you just end up forever making monthly payments. Get one good car and keep it. Reliability and maintenance costs are the key factors. Ford has dealers everywhere, no problem getting parts etc and wont cost much to fix. Good solid great handling cars. Toyota and Subaru wont break down. They also get five year warranties.

[@Hipas_Account]

@@oddities-whatnot im not the biggest fan of more modern basic cars either, but im trying to be optimistic about some of the newer peugeots, the 208 is really good looking, and whenever i see even some of the New SUV's from peugeot they tend to stick out in terms of design, i do think peugeot from around the 2010's, were a bit shit, but the ones from before that, the 90's and 80's ones are hard to replicate, ive had a 106 GTi and it was a lovely little car, and now i have a 1997 2.0 Turbo 605, which is also a very lovely car... although sometimes i do feel a little under equipped compared to some of the other cars from that period. Im gonna try and keep an open mind about future Peugeots, but this whole Opel purchase and whatever theyre doing with Fiat and Chrysler does have me a bit worried, and yes im a younger driver.

[@easydrive3662]

Peugeot 205 1.9gti is just a beautiful car, so simple but yet looks fantastic! In the 80s and early 90s Peugeot were great cars then from the late 90s into the 2000s they just became fat bulbus ugly things with shark looking fronts. They have improved slightly now tho

[@MrWeekendoff]

awesome, thanks so much for these uploads, enjoying going through them!!!

[@Lilbizkit]

Have you got through them all yet?

[@aphexrobinson2022]

4:15 James May gone back in time from the year 2023 😄

[@Clay3613]

Back The Future James May.

[@kevinDMC12]

6:35 LMAO the plate FOU means crazy in french and he's driving a peugeot, what a maniac

[@easydrive3662]

Incredible how 30 years later you only see the odd one or two of these cars on the road and how cars have changed so much,sometimes good,sometimes bad! Some of these now old cars look better than many new cars today but also many new cars make ones of the past look pretty tinny and dull

[@JamesGadbury]

I like the clean lines of older cars. Check out my '91 Audi 90 20v on my channel. Its a beaut 😍 Love driving it today. Simple and small. It's tiny and light compared with modern stuff but still feels solid and spacious.

[@andreasu.3546]

@@JamesGadbury Understand that cars come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on.

[@Devilsfan3332]

LOOK AT CLARKSON'S HAIR

[@TheSpritz0]

Who did Jeremy steal his hairstyle from? Ronald McDonald??

[@mhikari92]

TheSpritz0 I will say....70s

[@TheSpritz0]

l6632154 You're most likely right, or the 1980 to 1983 "Men's Perm Era", which for me to remember just cost me 1,000,000 brain cells!!! :)

[@gumballguy34]

0:49 Shit that was close

[@ddmarsh21]

The hair!

[@marcel911]

Tax effective benefit? LOL The government put a stop to that :)

[@themikester223]

at 0:49 look how close he gets the that car coming in the opposite direction o.O

[@jaysoneubanks579]

4:23 James May

[@tommallon4052]

And what's the effect on prices when all these fleet (as well as rental) cars go on the used car market?

[@D0S81]

lovin the hair like jezza' epic!

[@leonpalmer2429]

4.21 i thought was was James may coming back from the future.

[@leedstown]

The fashion police were called to arrest Jeremy over his perm they are due to arrive in 2020

[@craigstratford5086]

Help ! It's the Hair Bear Bunch !

[@hadrien4089]

I've become blind with this blue intro

[@elsewho]

Way to Fro Jeremy.

[@cilstr]

Car sharing--- right up JCs street... according to himself!

[@stephaniespragg5586]

5:30 - 5:37… like the driver in front is really going to hear the driver behind yell at them to get out of the way! 😂

[@leopold7562]

Ah, those were the days, when you got tax breaks for driving the car more often on company business and you could get any car you wanted, packed to the rafters with luxury goodies and the company coughed up for your fuel. Not any more. Nowadays you're banded into monthly lease figures, with a restricted set of brands and models, where any extras are paid for out of your own pocket (but still incorporated into the BIK tax) and the tax incentives are more geared towards cars that chuck out fewer CO2. Not just that, but the HMRC fuel recovery rates don't even cover your business fuel use unless you drive like an absolute saint, and if any of your personal possessions are stolen out of your car, it's tough luck. And you can't even smoke in them any more, because they're classed as "business premises" even if you never transport anyone else anywhere whilst on business. Oh, and with the latest raft of travel expense bans, you can't use them for business anyway because nobody is doing that run from Croydon to Aberdeen out of their own pocket. But all that said, having a company car is still a lot cheaper than buying your own. Probably why personal leases are becoming so very popular.

[@oddities-whatnot]

leopold Id sooner buy my own, and lease deals are a total waste of money for private buyers. Best off getting one good car and keeping it long term instead of showing off new Mercs etc to the neighbours and equally arrogant work colleagues. These PCP deals are crazy. Nobody can afford the balloon payment so they just trade in every three years for another. Makes great sense paying £399 a month for a BMW and never owning it. Muppets.

[@leopold7562]

@@oddities-whatnot It all rather depends on the situation. I couldn't afford to buy a big enough car for my family after being TUPEd to a company that doesn't offer cars (I had to turn my company wheels in as a result), so my options were pretty limited: - I didn't have the money for a big deposit for PCP financing - I didn't have the credit rating to make a straight finance deal affordable - I didn't have the time to go hunting for a decent used car - My office is 80 miles away, so not having a car at all isn't really an option My only remaining option was a personal lease. No biggie, I've had leased company cars for the last 20 years, so ownership just yet isn't a major issue. Once this four year deal is up, I'm hoping I'll be in a better position to buy outright.

[@thomasthuene3173]

Jeremy Clarkson talking about environmental impact of cars. Wow.

[@shaunbrennan5882]

Why are you playing the Match of the Day theme?

[@chitpaul]

It would appear he got worse with age....just check out his language, style of delivery. He even made an effort in his dressing.....wow....o and the hair......when did he change exactly......

[@MyManiacGamer]

well at this time all BBC presenters had to speak with a posh accent for some reason and towards the end of the 90's these rules were relaxed

[@9890jsp]

+ManiacGamer American newscasters do that as well. They all sound alike lol

[@mediocrefunkybeat]

He also went to Repton - so he was taught to speak like that. It slips the older he gets.

[@j1mmyZeta]

'status differential' is a micro-aggression nowadays

[@HandigeHarry010]

To point out who is boss, the boss has a Rover Sterling... yeah, these days Jeremy is doing 100 pound challenges with cars from the same era.

[@mhikari92]

This video clip had seriously blowed my mind!!!! I thought the company car are "a fleet of cheapest&basicest equiped vehicles with same paint,same range,same model.(if they're bought in same purchase The deffent purchase can have diffent on those things) bought(and selected) by the company. Which not best but also not last economical cars that just simply get people from A2B and carry necessary loads" I mean the post van,cable com. van,delivery van, and the fleet of cars that companys let thier salesperson drive around for bussiness.I mean,since when the worker can chiose their company cars?As a social freshman who is still looking for job,I don't get the concept.

[@mhikari92]

l6632154 And as I was born in '92.I don't really know what the world look like in '91.

[@XPLOSIVization]

+Dex Wilson and the music was better and didnt take it self too seriously

[@oddities-whatnot]

MezzerliptikJay 90s music was okay until about 96 and then it turned into garbage.

[@Bedsitdweller]

More people drank and drove (a third of them, regularly!) than broke the speed limit in the 90's?!

[@oddities-whatnot]

Bedsitdweller drivers were terrible back then. Unbelievably It was more socially acceptable to drink drive and use mobiles at the wheel. Today we have media and advertising campaigns together with changing attitudes.

[@operator91210]

I like these cars from a retrospective viewpoint but living in a Nation that had such a large tax dodging loophole such as this would be absolute hell for me.

[@OnboardG1]

It got changed about a decade ago as part of a general clearout of “benefit in kind” tax wheezes. It’s based on CO2 emissions now and while it’s still advantageous it’s much rarer to see a company car on a benefits package these days unless it’s actually for your job.

[@Philip.Magnusson]

vauxhal nova = opel corsa vauxhal cavarlierlier = opel vectra. you're welcome!

[@camd1774]

coolakiIlen007 *cavalier

[@camd1774]

coolakiIlen007 *vauxhall

[@jamestorrens645]

Four star petrol... god damn, how times have changed.

[@huntsbychainsaw5986]

It's funny that 20 years later we're still hashing out the same issue with emissions, fuel costs, bloated vehicle prices, and irresponsible driving.

[@dgurevich1]

You call that recession? In Israel the fleet market takes around 70% of the total car market. But employees pay around 1000$ for their cars monthly. Here the best selling car is the hyundai accent... I'd certainly buy a 3 series if my government didn't tax it until it costs twice as much...

[@roossi]

@bullet50000 I'm too young for that, but I wonder why I didn't hear about it before like 2003 or something :D

[@alostguy25]

That Audi 80 @3:16 looking sexy as anything.

[@CynicalBastard511]

You can even see reps admiring it.

[@oddities-whatnot]

A solicitor mate let me have a go in his Quattro many years ago. Very nice indeed.

[@milesellis2847]

A whole 18000 miles/year!

[@billmilligan1705]

Did you spot James May in disguise at 4:18?

[@paulcook7426]

Whatever happened to this serious, ethical, well-researched motoring journalist?

[@JowoHD]

God seeing all these old Rovers and Fords and Vauxhalls and Peugeots with the alloy wheels and spoilers and sporty bodykits and MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS makes me sad, all these beautifully boxy cars probably sitting in a scrapheap somewhere

[@azmrblack]

That hair on that guy...LOL

[@bullet50000]

@roossi they talked about it in the 70s

[@beijingbond]

James May's first appearance @4:15

[@lewiskhan4927]

What's up, Excellent. detect sloppy 1!

[@junior1138]

This is dryer than Ghandi’s flip-flop!

[@aredub1847]

LOL 2.5k business miles a year? England so tiny.

[@kernals12]

3:06 I didn't think America ever did company cars, at least not on a large scale.

[@justsumguy2u]

Some of Britain's laws regarding cars and taxes is confusing to me. Does this mileage tax only apply to business vehicles, or are they levied against private owners as well? And what is it with the iron fist of the MOT? Yes, there are some states here in the US (not all) that require vehicle inspections, but they're not nearly as stringent as the MOT requires. For example, in Pennsylvania, you can't have any rust holes in the body or the vehicle will fail.....BUT, you can fill or cover those holes with pretty much anything you like, and it will pass. Some people just pop-rivet aluminum over the holes, and I knew a guy who covered the back of the hole with a cut open beer can, and covered it with body filler on the outside; it passed.

[@sethburgess8211]

MOT's are supposed to make sure that all cars on the road are safe for the user and other road users (pedestrians etc.) Of course it only checks on the day it is tested (of the tester does it properly)

[@moltenriches]

MOT's are annual checks on a vehicle to make sure it's road legal, but in essence they're a waste of time as it's technically certified road legal for that day, the next day it could be a fail but it doesn't matter as you've just passed and you've got 364 days before you have to worry about it again. A lot of people with modified cars will take their mods off for the MOT to make sure it passes then pop them all back on afterwards for example.

[@justsumguy2u]

On the states that do have inspections here, it's the same---it only has to pass on that day, and then you're good for another 364 days.

[@stevemhallam]

I'm too young to remember those particular rules, but nowadays the tax level is based on how much carbon dioxide you emit. You take the manufacturer's list price and multiply it by a percentage based on the CO2 (up to a maximum of 35%) and that's the benefit you're taxed on. Electric cars are taxed at 4% of list price.

[@ejcmoorhouse]

@@moltenriches While it is true that an MOT only checks on that day, if you are stopped by the police and they think you have an unsafe car even if you have a current MOT you can be fined up to £2500, be banned from driving or get 3 points on your license.

[@kernals12]

weird, this video was made during what was at the time the worst recession since the depression

[@oddities-whatnot]

Will Poundstone correct. I lost my well paid job that year. Tried to buy the company BMW 318i I was driving off them, as they owned it outright and because it was an asset, the receivers would have taken it, so I was allowed to buy it for myself. Only reason I didn't was I couldn't afford the insurance at 21 :(

[@jasoncooke1999]

My girlfriend had a 405 Sri in the 90,s Probably still got my dna on the seats 💪

[@ballickmoyler]

klingon at 4:13

[@footvantage06]

James May in disguise at 4:20

[@bosdepokutalmis]

Old brit cars looks so sad

[@tawermeister99]

Dr Martin mogridge looks like James May’s dad.

[@thechod]

At 4.36 £1.71.4 per GALLON

[@JaideepShetty]

4:15 james may's father.

[@jeff4362]

So people, what would your the best of these 1991 cars to drive today? I know which would be the worst, Escort.

[@oddities-whatnot]

Jeff the Escort was indeed a terrible car that year. Took a new one down to Cornwall once (hire car from Hertz), and of course it was nice to drive, it was new but the engine was so old fashioned. A rattly CVH unit taken from the previous model. As regards what would my favourite car be from 1991, hmmm. Got to be the VW Golf GTI 16v model. Had a run out in a new one of them, was a company car for one of the managers and I was taking it for a service I think. Fabulous, solid, refined quick and stable with good gearing for motorways as well. Yep. Thats my choice.

[@tinshedexilex9527]

Fuel at 38p a litre.

[@JaymeEduardo]

Martin died 9 years later after a stroke.

[@MrDOWNARD]

when sierra cavaliers fiestas ruled the roads

[@oddities-whatnot]

steve downard Sierra has an awful noisy engine. The 1.8 was so unrefined. Vauxhall engines were better in my opinion back then. Astra SRI new was fantastic. Fiestas have always been great. Was driving a nearly new one in 1989, 1.1 litre engine but was excellent on the motorway. Happy days

[@007bondspy]

no they are getting paid so much they have their OWN cars

[@OdinThorWalhalla]

James May is a time traveler. Is it a hoax?

[@dixienormus5606]

I'm lucky enough to have an S-line Audi A6 for a company car. I wonder if it'll be viewed as shit in 20 years time like these old cavaliers & rover sterlings are now 🙈

[@goclunker]

Dixie Normus its a check engine light on wheels, so that should answer your question

[@oddities-whatnot]

Cars are too complex these days. At least back in those days there was less to go wrong, not full of computers and sensors.

[@Jel01975]

1.10 Arthur Dailey lookalike

[@aredub1847]

a rover sterling? britian can into the first world?

[@skipraida5497]

£171.4 a gallon.....

[@BlueAxeRacer]

The global warming message is not the point here - the problem is something which has always stood throughout history. You're not likely to care about the cost of investment when it's not your money you're spending. It is possible to run a prosperous society that does less damage to the environment, by making people responsible for their own purchasing decisions.

[@roossi]

global warming ?! they talked about it at 1991 ?!?!?

[@iainmclaughlan1557]

roossi started talking about it around 1988 on children’s TV.

[@fishinmalarkey9830]

4 mins in see it's James mays dad

[@F4Insight-uq6nt]

CC = 33

[@Samspianopage]

See that's alot of what the issue is with business , it wasn't always changing times or consumer demands. It was the bigger employee's higher up the ladder takin the piss and Taking every benefit and gettine away with doing as little as possible. Which is why alot of industry has moved to Asia and other countries, they generally work hard. I'm generalizing here of course not saying everyone's like that but it's defo something I've noticed with management of alot of places I've seen. Granted I'm only 30 but when ye see workplaces and people ye get to know how people operate and there's patern's with people. Hard working people in often don't get the recognition they deserve as the senior manage ment, especially in Britain, alot of the time are either status conscious, so if yer saying anything bad about anything ye get shot down even if it's a perfectly valid point, or glory hunters. Just an observation. Applied to company cars which is waht we're talking about here. The folk who get the "perk" that money's gotta come from somewhere and is paid by someone else. Nout is free and those that got away with paying little for their vehicle and maybe not always using them for what they were supposed to be using em for. Well ye see ma point, it hdefo had an effect on everybody else somewhere along the line LOL.

[@bullet50000]

@roossi let me give you a hint, what car was born in the 90's? the Hummer. need I say more?

[@CastwenteKampkuiper]

The Hummer wasn't born in the 1990s but in the 1980s.

[@skipraida5497]

Company car's not such a perk now!

[@-db-7901]

Did JC just say "Global Warming"?

[@cilstr]

Not only that!! But inefficient cars having an effect on the climate!!!

[@toxy3580]

Clarkson talking about global warming in 91+

[@LucasFernandez-fk8se]

Yeah the global warming lie has been going on for decades now. They were whining about global warming when I was a child (in the mid 2010s). But it goes decades before that too. still nothing has happened 🤷‍♂️

[@KiloByte72]

Only hipsters and Scandinavians are foolish enough to give up their car for a bike.

[@kernals12]

Here in America, company cars are very rare, probably because we care less about status and more about consumer choice

[@straightpipediesel]

Nope. As they said in 1:48, the reason is about taxes. The UK both undertaxed company cars and is combined with a higher income tax rate than the US. This makes it far more desirable for a company to pay a lower salary and provide a company car, than to pay the fully-taxed salary and the employee goes out and buys their own car. In the US, rules about mileage logs, the IRS mileage rate, and deductibility of cars (versus trucks and vans) make it less favorable to game the system like this.

[@leonbassjunkiepozo4851]

Company cars are few and far between these days... Ofc not for the top cats of the corp...................

[@YUSKHAN]

Birmingham

[@rez4405]

At least they never had worry about this Morden day scam such as congestion charge ulez I live 20 yard by congestion charge and ulez I can't cross the road with my car I have to pay £ 12 what a scam

[@Emppu_T.]

Yawn... But i stayed for The Hair