The Messerschmitt KR200 looks as though it ought to have a pilot rather than a driver. Its two occupants sit one behind the other beneath a clear canopy, with the little engine tucked behind them. The
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
Picture an older car with a large metal cylinder fastened behind its boot. Pipes lead forward, and there may be another conspicuous piece of plumbing where its owner once kept the luggage. The install
Long before carmakers filled dashboards with screens, an important piece of engine information was displayed outside the windshield. Early automobiles often carried their radiator filler caps at
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N already has enough performance to make most hot hatches look slow. With up to 641 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 3.25 seconds, it hardly needs help in the speed department. But design
A remarkably low odometer reading has a way of making every other detail fade into the background. The paint may be dull, the tires may look suspiciously old and the service book may contain a de
Nothing about the rear of a 1959 Cadillac suggests moderation. Its fins rise above the trunk like extravagant pieces of roadside architecture, edged in chrome and carrying two red taillights shaped li
Climb into a traditional Porsche and the ignition appears on the left side of the steering wheel. Most cars place it on the right, close to the driver’s dominant hand and safely within the
Walk past a parked car after dark and the cabin can seem completely asleep, apart from one tiny red light pulsing on the dashboard. Blink. Pause. Blink again. Since red dashboard lights usua
There was a time when replacing a car battery was a reassuringly simple job. Disconnect the old one, wrestle it out of its tray, drop in the new one and tighten the terminals. If the engine started, t