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Roof Racks and Hatchbacks: The Family Car

Timeshift Series 17
Episode 1 of 5

Exploring the British experience of family cars, from the Morris Minor to the Ford Cortina, the VW Golf to the Volvo estate, school runs to family holidays.

The family car. We grow up in the back seat - and before we know it, we find ourselves in the driving seat...

Timeshift explores the British experience of the family car, from the groundbreaking Morris Minor to the ubiquitous Ford Cortina, the Range Rover to the new Jaguar F-Pace - not to mention their imported rivals, such as the Volkswagen Golf and the Volvo estate.

Despite its reputation for being practical and sensible, designers have long endeavoured to make the family car attractive, even exciting, and to keep pace as the family and its requirements have evolved over the decades. Can a family vehicle be small - like the Mini? Or fast - like the Golf GTi? And what's the real reason why so many of today's family cars seem so enormous?

But the story of the family car isn't just about design. It's about the joy and frustration of parents and kids being cooped up on the road together. A saga of continental road trips and games of I-spy, backseat squabbles and impromptu toilet breaks. For better or worse, the car is one of the few remaining places where families still get to be a family.

Contributors include motoring journalists Richard Porter and Zog Ziegler, author Ben Hatch and leading car designer Ian Callum.

59 minutes

Last on

Tue 17 Mar 2020 22:30
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:00

    Tony Christie

    Avenues and Alleyways

  • 00:01

    The Who

    Baba O'Riley

  • 00:02

    The Who

    Baba O'Riley

  • 00:04

    Mrs. Mills

    Popcorn

  • 00:05

    Mrs. Mills

    Somebody Stole My Girl

  • 00:08

    Mike Preston

    A House A Car And A Wedding Ring

  • 00:13

    The Shadows

    Apache

  • 00:17

    The Kinks

    All Day And All Of The Night

  • 00:18

    Corduroy

    Mini

  • 00:21

    Lightnin’ Hopkins

    Automobile

  • 00:21

    The Dave Clark Five

    All Night Long

  • 00:22

    Domenico Modugno

    Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu

  • 00:25

    Serge Gainsbourg

    Ford Mustang

  • 00:26

    ABBA

    So Long

  • 00:30

    The Kinks

    Tired of Waiting

  • 00:33

    Laurie Johnson

    The Professionals

  • 00:35

    Golden Earring

    Radar Love

  • 00:35

    The Who

    Quadrophenia

  • 00:37

    Saint Etienne

    Like A Motorway

  • 00:38

    Gary Numan

    Cars (Motorway)

  • 00:41

    New Order

    Blue Monday

  • 00:43

    Eurythmics

    Sweet Dreams

  • 00:50

    Antonio Vivaldi

    12 Violin Concertos, Op. 4, "La Stravaganza": No. 5 In A Major, Rv 347

  • 00:53

    Saint Etienne

    Burnt Out Car

  • 00:56

    Eric Clapton

    Layla

Credits

Narrator Grace Dent
Producer Linda Sands
Director Linda Sands
Executive Producer John Das

Broadcasts