Honda launched the City and Motocompo together in Japan in 1981. The Motocompo was a small petrol-powered scooter designed to fold down and travel inside the City’s luggage compartment. The two
Parking sensors can give false alerts when accessories obstruct their detection area. Number-plate brackets, bicycle racks, large tow hitches and bumper covers are among the examples manufacturers ide
What was the Saab Toppola camper? It was a removable living module fitted into a compatible hatchback after its rear hatch was taken off. Developed in Sweden in the early 1980s, it gave a passenger ca
Deer whistles offer a particularly appealing bargain. Attach a small device to the front of the car and, supposedly, the air passing through it will warn animals before you reach them. There is no scr
A flower vase seems like an unlikely thing to find beside a car’s speedometer. It cannot tell you whether the engine is overheating, help you find your way home or hold a takeaway coffee. Yet a
Changing a car battery used to be one of the cleaner bargains in home mechanics. Remove two terminals, undo the clamp, lift out the old battery and fit the new one. The clock might need resetting a
Audi has brought back the A2 name, but the new car takes a very different route from the lightweight aluminum hatchback that disappeared more than two decades ago. The A2 e-tron is now a compact elect
The engine is off. The dashboard has gone dark. The key is out, or the start button has been pressed for what felt like a sufficiently final time. Still, the radio keeps playing. Then the dr
On a cold morning, the rear window begins clearing as expected. Most of the condensation disappears, but one neat horizontal stripe refuses to move. That stripe is useful evidence. The window has p
The roof rack looked harmless in the driveway. At 30 mph, it was still harmless. Somewhere around 50, however, the car developed a whistle sharp enough to make every passenger start inspecting the win