Cars were much more fun in past times, many seemed to have personality, certainly they had moods.
One of my early cars, it came after the aforementioned Ford and before the A40 somerset, was a Standard 8, This was a very basic car, and I do mean basic, rubber mats, No boot, or should I say no boot lid, access was from inside after folding down the rear seats. The spare wheel was below the boot area covered by a cover that was removed using a "T" key which, if you had a puncture was always under all the stuff in the boot which you had to take out from inside the car having first had the passengers stand out in the rain. It was always raining, dark and cold when you had a puncture.
I digress.
This particular car was moody, It would start every time first time Just turn on the ignition, no key, just a switch, pull the knob and away it went. Except when for no apparent reason it wouldn't. You had to then get the starting handle from under all the stuff in the boot, having stood the passengers out in the rain. Put the handle in give it a couple of turns, swear at the car go back and pull the starter and away it would go. If it was feeling really moody as soon as you put back the starting handle and the passengers, it would stop and the whole process was repeated. Here I tell no lie, as sure as I am sitting here on one occasion having gone through the performance a couple of times I shouted some obscenities at the car which included a threat to drive it into the nearest scrapyard. I got out to get the starting handle and was so annoyed I slammed the door very hard. To my, and my passengers, amazement
the engine coughed and purred into life. It didn't misbehave for several weeks after that.
