- [introduction to each episode]
- [black-and-white 1950s footage of cars driving through the country, with soothing music in the background]
- Richard Wilson: For many, the 1950s were the golden age of British motoring. Back then, life was leisurely, liberating and fun.
- [modern traffic: Richard screeches to a halt in a traffic jam, with someone blowing their horn]
- Richard Wilson: Yes, things have changed a bit since then.
- [modern footage of Richard driving an old Bentley, with soothing music]
- Richard Wilson: But perhaps it's still possible to recapture some of that old magic. I'm setting off on six of the best drives from the 1950s, as recommended by the guide-books of the era. And I'll be driving some of the decade's most iconic vehicles. I want to find out if these routes still thrill and inspire, and how in fifty years Britain itself has changed.