Well, that explains why the AC on my wife's Golf takes about as long to blow cold as it does for the heater to blow warm (which is bloody ages, too). Good to know that it's not broken.

Hey, at least it's only eight cylinders hanging out the front, not ten!

Didn't think about that. My Volvo 850R has a light sensor for the climate control too. That still (mostly) works after 18 years, except when it doesn't want to. Sometimes, automatic climate control is a pain. Call me a luddite, but the heater on my MG got it just about right – one knob marked "PULL FOR HEAT," a switch…

VW have a typically German approach to that problem. The gauge cluster has a light sensor in it – if the headlights are off and the ambient light level is low, it will dim (or turn off) the dash lighting as a reminder to turn your headlights on.

De Dion suspension. Kind of a weird middle-ground between a live axle and IRS. Unusual, but it has a pretty good pedigree.

Interesting. I had one, back in the day – the camera was quite impressive for the time. I still miss the good old Symbian S60 OS, as well.

The Nokia N93 would like to have a word with you.

The hydropneumatic suspension actually gives some pretty incredible roadholding on rough surfaces. I've done quite a few gravel miles in a Citroën Xantia with essentially the same suspension, and for a car with no sporting pretensions whatsoever, it is quite remarkable just how far you can push it. Also, since all the…

I know that feel. When I was young, my father had an immaculate Jaguar XK150 that he had restored himself. I loved riding in it, and I really wish that I'd had the chance to drive it, but our financial situation forced him to sell it long before I was old enough to drive. We've kept track of the car since, and like…

I've driven a late-model DS23, and although it is by no means a fast car, you're right, the power is entirely adequate. You're not going to win any races, but for normal driving, both around town and on the highway, it never felt lacking.

I'd believe it. I've never bothered to crunch the numbers, but my MGA is remarkably frugal, especially considering that it begs to be thrashed at every possible opportunity.

And, if it's in salt water, everything is not only damp, but encrusted in this weird salty film that manages to be both scratchy, and slightly sticky. THE WORST.

The TD was really an early '30s design, being an evolution of the 1936 TA Midget which in turn wasn't all that different to the P-type that preceded it, which in turn wasn't much different to th J-type of 1932. After WW2, most British manufacturers did the same thing, just relaunching their prewar models. The T-type…

It definitely is possible to measure the oil level electronically – some '80s Citroëns actually had an oil level gauge on the dash, and I've seen plenty of cars that have a oil level warning light distinct from the oil pressure light. As far as I'm aware, those work by putting a small heating element in the oil pan –…

You can definitely see some C2 and C3 Audi 100 in there.

I have always bought at the low end of the market, but here's what I've always done:

The BMC/Leyland B-series engine is a case in point. As well as its most famous application in the MGA and B, it also found its way into the TVR Grantura, and a number of other low-volume sports cars. They even made a (rare and fragile) twin cam variant for competition. However, it also went into commercial vans like…

It might not be the conventional definition of mid-engined, but in the strict sense (engine placed between the front and rear axles), the DS counts.

Suspension. Instead of springs and shock absorbers, it has hydraulic rams that act against nitrogen gas in those accumulators (called 'spheres' by Citroën people). It gives a perfectly linear spring rate (not possible with conventional springs) and as a side effect, you get self levelling suspension and variable ride…

That's awesome! My father had a Morris Minor as his first car, and raves about how fun it was to drive. Having the body and paintwork already done sounds ideal for me – I'm all about the oily bits, and don't have much of a hand for cosmetic work. I'm of British background myself (my father is British, I grew up in New…