Kings of the road: On patrol with the AA

Blackball Media

To motorists stuck on the side of the road they're knights riding to the rescue – the all-powerful mechanics who can tackle anything thrown at them. But what does it take to be an AA patrol? Sophie Williamson-Stothert meets the best of the best.

They're the mechanics at the sharpest end of the motor trade. Driving up and down the nation's roads, their tools stashed neatly in their van behind them, ready to be dispatched to save stranded motorists at a moment's notice. But what does it take to become one of these master mechanics? To find out, we spent the day with the AA's Patrol of the Year, Max Holdstock.