Legendary television presenter Denis Norden sets out to answer the age-old question “What Drives the British” in this delightfully light-hearted programme. As the It’ll Be Alright on the Night presenter puts it, the mission is to explore the British love affair with all things which run on wheels, wings and water.

And Denis certainly succeeds, meeting famous names and enthusiasts, visiting priceless car and aeroplane collections and treating us to a mouth watering array of classic clips, from record attempts in the 1930s to drag racing in the 1970s!

Astride his trusty BSA bicycle, Denis sets off to explore the British passion for speed, meeting World Champions, record-breakers and the ‘nutty’ folk who are driven by an obsession with all things automotive.

Denis talks to land speed legend Captain George Eyston, record-breaking pilot Jean Batten, Drag Racing Champion Clive Skilton, six-times Motorcycle World Champion Geoff Duke and Leo Villa, a mechanic for both Malcolm and Donald Campbell in their quests for higher and higher speeds on land and water.

Renowned car collector George Milligen and production saloon car racer Wendy Markey offer their views, while Denis also makes an enlightening trip to an autojumble!

The insight offered by these experts is fascinating, as is the wonderful vintage footage of Thunderbolt and Bluebird in action, Geoff Duke racing and Jean Batten celebrating another of her record-breaking solo flights.

Made in 1974, to celebrate 75 years of Castrol Oil’s contribution to the world of motoring, What Drives the British? will amuse, delight and inform, revealing that the British passion for motors and motoring may be nutty, but, as Denis says, it is ‘a nice kind of nuttiness’.

Publisher: Duke Marketing

Status: Current