How should a motorist converse with the police? Should you switch off your headlights when another car approaches? What parts of the engine can you fix with a sheet of emery paper, insulating tape and copper wire?

The 1920s heralded the age of motoring with the arrival of the ‘affordable’ Austin Seven and the increasing popularity of Morris Motors in Britain. Yet the first edition of the Highway Code would not appear for another decade and the rules of the road were rudimentary to say the least.

This charming and practical guide provides enduring advice to novice motorists on how to cope with such hazards as skidding, headlight dazzle and sheep on the road, much of which is still instructive on today’s car journeys. Many of the author’s observations will strike a chord with the modern driver: ‘When driving, look on all other drivers as fools...’. Others evoke the style and etiquette of a glamorous bygone era: ‘A good chauffeur... will save his employer a great deal of expense’; ‘an average speed of twenty miles per hour... allows you and your passengers to see something of the countryside’.

Covering such topics as unscrupulous second-hand car dealers, women drivers and ‘dashboard delights’, this little book provides all the information needed to get maximum enjoyment out of the open road, complete with leisurely picnics and a little light motor-car maintenance.