Many years ago ( early 1980's ) a company which supplied ours had an "incentive" scheme for their sales reps.
The deal was that all reps were issued with identical Cortinas as their standard car. The company also owned one Aston Martin and one Skoda. They evidently had a quarterly sales conference at which the rep with the best figures for the quarter was awarded the Aston for the next three months and the poorest results earned the use of the Skoda for the same period.
Allegedly, it was not possible to be given the Skoda twice if you get the drift.
Now, it all seems very tacky now and I'm quite sure any modern HR Dept would throw a dicky fit at being asked to sanction such a cruel scheme but I suppose we have to remember when we are talking about and the attitudes / zeitgeist of that time.
However, for a bit of fun, put yourself in the shoes of a modern fleet manager charged with sourcing the " Last Chance Saloon"
I think this is quite difficult because there are actually very few truly awful cars nowadays but I'm sure the BR can come up with some suggestions !
What would it be ?
PS - Just goes to show how brands can re-position themselves doesn't it in that no one would be too disappointed to be given a modern Skoda.
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Skoda v. Aston in today's motoring environment ? er...pass me the flip out key with the green logo please !
Since becoming a Green Thingy (as opposed to Blue Propeller) driver, I have discovered a new emotion when driving.....
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 15/12/2007 at 10:05
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BUPA had a similar scheme for their salesmen in the mid-´90s. Aston for a year for the salesman of the year. Something like that.
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You know as I tapped the "post" button I would have put a fiver on yours being the first response Pug !
You are quite right of course and that is really what is behind the musing. Are there any "humiliating" cars out there any more ? Or have market forces eradicated the truly woeful ?
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Of course there are humiliating cars.
Dacia Logan
Renault Thalia.
I'd rather stick pins in my eyes quite honestly
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Of course there are humiliating cars. Dacia Logan Renault Thalia.
Perodua Kelisa. Or a G-Wiz?
What about one of a number of really badly styled kit cars, you might get someone to leave voluntarily rather than drive some of those, for example:
www.ridecars.com/ (IMHO you cannot make an MR2 look like a Shelby Mustang).
I once saw a 4-seater cabriolet thing that someone commented "it looks like one of the carriages off a log flume". It looked similar to but even worse than an Onyx Firefox: www.davebence.co.uk/onyx_firefox/
A friend of mine's wife currently has a similar scheme at her company; the months best salesperson gets to use a Boxster for the next month, but AFAIK they dont have a 'booby prize' for the underachiever..
;o)
Edited by Rich 9-3 on 15/12/2007 at 11:24
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In the 70s the ford badges were important on the cortinas. Poor salesman got the "L" good ones got XL's and the very best got Ghias.
Its was a badge of rank
------
< Ulla>
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Pedant mode on:
>>Poor salesman got the "L" good ones got XL's and the very best got Ghias.>>
Should be L, XL, GT, GXL or L, XL, E or L, GL, Ghia.
Pedant mode off:
To answer the OP, I would be seen dead in a 307 convertable, if it has to be a saloon then a Leganza (Kia or Hyundia, not sure) or the Suzuki Verona(?) they do in the US that is very similar.
Edited by cheddar on 15/12/2007 at 10:35
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Cheddar - to be mega-pedantic ( new word ? ) !
You forgot the Mk IV Cortina "S" which was the ...er... sporty model. Distinguished by the matt black panel between the rear lights and little extra rally style lamps mounted on top of the front bumper. Many a budding imitation "Bodie and Doyle" coveted these ! and yes ...I have to admit... I had one. I can still hear a ghostly Bee Gees "Stayin Alive" !
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>>Cheddar - to be mega-pedantic ( new word ? ) !
>>
Shoespy Then to be mega mega.... wotsit.:-)
Wot about the all powerful 1.3 or the slightly better 1.6 and 2.0 Crusader.
Those and the 1.6 and 2.0 estates were the ONLY Cortinas available at the end of the production run.
The first one I had was featured on the front of Autocar.
It was so high spec I retrofitted a boot light and a dipping interior mirror.
How specs have changed.
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Ah yes Henry - the 1.6. They were so low geared that it was really easy to "blow" the engine by over-reving in top ( 4th ) gear. Especially if one was ....ahem..... hurrying a bit !
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i had one of the last cortinas in a 1.6 auto. it was 3 yrs old when i got it and it was already past its best. i loved it at the time though
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Still the Skoda I'm afraid.
On the car scheme I could join there are loads of Audi A3/A4 or VW Passat/Golf and not a single Skoda in the car park.
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When I'm head of a global corporation CEO will have Superbs, the men will have Octavias and the women will have Fabias (with parking sensors).
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When I'm head of a global corporation>>
.... the CEO (me) will have a 612 Scagletti, the men will have whatever they like and the women will have male chaffeurs !
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Proton - maybe the only one left that doesn't even try to make cars that are decent to drive.
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MB B Class diesel automatic would qualify in the higher cost category. Horrible and makes a horrible noise outside, too.
659.
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Seconded, 659. There wasn't a wet eye in the house when I got shot of mine; there isn't a single area in which the Golf estate isn't superior.
Presumably the A-class dlesel automatic is similarly noisy. The C-class is much better soundproofed.
Going back to the point of the thread, a rep would feel honoured to be allocated a Mercedes - and then get a rude shock. In my case it was entirely my fault fo not insisting on a longer test drive.
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