When boot badges meant everything
CCongratulations on your British Classics of the 1980s magazine – I particularly enjoyed Nick Larkin’s contribution about the three repmobiles, with the Sierra, Cavalier and Montego tested.
As an old sales rep myself, I remember these cars on the motorways and in Little Chef car parks, and even got to drive some of them! However, Nick glossed over a very important feature of all those models that was crucial to the hierarchy of sales repdom, in that the more successful you were, or higher up the pecking order you rose, the higher the specification of your chosen model.
Most reps new to the job were given a bog-standard Escort or Astra, and once they had established themselves they were offered a larger, but still bog-standard, Cavalier or Sierra. That’s when the badge on the back took on more significance, and it was a ploy well known to the manufacturers. Any rep who improved his or her monthly sales was offered a better-equipped car the next time he was due to get one, and if he was approaching another promotion on the corporate ladder he had the choice of a car with top of the range spec, because once he entered the realms of regional management then his car was the next model up, such as a Ford Granada or Vauxhall Carlton.
Once again, the spec level was a silent indication of his or her progress further up the ladder. Also, most reps who kept their samples in the boot generally preferred a hatchback because you could shelter from the rain under a raised hatch back while organising what was required for your visit at your customer, whereas a standard boot provided no shelter at all!
Job vacancies in those days almost always included the words ‘choice of car’ in the description or if the company seeking employees had a corporate theme, the description might state exactly which model was available as part of the package on offer. The sales list value of the car and its spec would also impact on PAYE, so all reps in those days were as knowledgeable about such things as they were about the products they sold.
Thanks for the memories.
❚ Roy Kennedy, Bedford
Glad you enjoyed it, Roy. British Classics of the 1980s is available to order online at greatmagazines.co.uk/1980s for any other readers up for some sales rep nostalgia – Ed.