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Quiz Monkey |
Travel |
Cars and driving |
See also International Vehicle Registration Codes.
History |
The Highway Code |
Tyres |
Abbreviations |
Engineering |
Makes |
Models |
Record Breakers |
Other |
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See also Roads, International Plates.
Note that this page also covers motorcycles (and other types of motorised road vehicles).
See also Speed Limits (below).
Cost of the standard Mini when launched (1959) |
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£497 |
Number of Model 'T' Fords sold (nearest million) |
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18 million |
Questions about veteran and vintage cars are fair enough; but beware the term "classic car" – there are lots of contradictory definitions. HM Revenue & Customs, for taxation purposes, defines a Classic Car as one that's over 15 years old and worth more than £15,000 (2008 – still the same in 2017).
At this point I obviously should point out that the Highway Code applies to all road users, not just car drivers.
Year | mph | ||||
Speed limit introduced by the Locomotives on Highways Act |
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1861 |
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10 | |
Speed limit reduced by the Locomotive Act | Country roads |
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1865 |
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4 |
In towns |
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2 | |||
Speed limit set by the Motor Car Act |
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1903 |
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20 |
During the 1973 oil crisis, a blanket speed limit of 50 mph was imposed. The limit was restored to 70 mph in 1974 (for motorways in March, and for all other roads in May).
The reprieve didn't last long however, and in December 1974 the national speed limits were (temporarily) reduced to 50 mph for single–carriageway roads and 60 mph on dual carriageways. Motorway speed limits were left unchanged at 70 mph.
National speed limits increased to 60 mph for single–carriageway roads and 70 mph for dual carriageways |
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1977 |
It should go without saying that all motorised vehicles, including motorcycles, are restricted to 30 mph in built–up areas. The following table shows the limits for the various types of vehicle on other roads.
Single | Dual | Motorways | ||
Cars, motorcycles, car–derived vans (see Notes 1 and 2) and dual–purpose vehicles (see Note 3) | 60 | 70 | 70 | |
Ditto, towing a caravan or trailer | 50 | 60 | 60 | |
Motorhomes or motor caravans | Up to 3.05 tonnes (see Note 4) | 60 | 70 | 70 |
Over 3.05 tonnes (see Note 4) | 50 | 60 | 70 | |
Buses, coaches and minibuses | Up to 12 metres | 50 | 60 | 70 |
Over 12 metres | 50 | 60 | 60 | |
Goods vehicles | Up to 7.5 tonnes (see Notes 2, 4 and 5) | 50 | 60 | 70 |
Over 7.5 tonnes (see Notes 4 and 6) | 50 | 60 | 60 |
This is impossibly complicated, even though there are only three different numbers involved, but I've shown it if only to demonstrate to potential question setters how ludicrous it is to ask about such things.
As guidance for the poor beleaguered contestant, I offer the following:
• | Every driver should know that the speed limit for a normal car is 60 mph on single carriageways and 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways. This also applies to motorcycles, and to motor homes and motor caravans up to 3.05 tonnes. | |
• | For everything else, including an ordinary vehicle towing a caravan or trailer, the speed limit is 50 mph on single carriageways and 60 mph on dual carriageways (but not necessarily on motorways). | |
• | All vehicles towing caravans or trailers, buses and coaches over 12 metres, and goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes, are restricted to 60 mph on motorways. |
Notes:
1 | A car–derived van is one based on a car such as a Ford Focus or a Vauxhall Corsa. The registration document (log book) will tell you if your van is car–derived or not. | |
2 | A Ford Transit (or similar) counts as a goods vehicle. | |
3 | A dual–purpose vehicle is one designed to carry either goods or passengers (or both). | |
4 | For motor homes and motor caravans, the 3.05 tonne limit is unladen weight; for goods vehicles, the 7.5 tonne limit is maximum laden weight. | |
5 | Small goods vehicles (up to 7.5 tonnes) are restricted to 60 mph on motorways if they're articulated or if they're towing a trailer. | |
6 | In Scotland, the speed limit for goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes on single–carriageway roads is 40 mph. (And if you've ever driven on a single–carriageway road in Scotland, outside a built–up area, you'll know why.) |
Like speed limits, this is never a popular subject in quizzes – who carries this information around in their head? But if you want to be prepared, here they are.
Formula: the thinking distance in feet is the same as the speed in miles per hour. To work out the braking distance (in feet): divide the speed in miles per hour by 10, square the result, and multiply by 5. For example: 60 divided by 10 is 6; 6 squared is 36; 36 times 5 is 180. A metre is just over three feet; a car length is 4m or 13 ft.
Speed | Thinking distance | Braking distance | Stopping distance | Car lengths |
20 mph | 6m (20 ft) | 6m (20 ft) | 12m (40 ft) | 3 |
30 mph | 9m (30ft) | 14m (45 ft) | 23m (75 ft) | 6 |
40 mph | 12m (40 ft) | 24m (80 ft) | 36m (120 ft) | 9 |
50mph | 15m (50 ft) | 38m (125 ft) | 53m (175 ft) | 13 |
60 mph | 18m (60 ft) | 55m (180ft) | 73m (240 ft) | 18 |
70 mph | 21m (70ft) | 75m (250 ft) | 96m (315ft) | 24 |
Parking (and loading) restriction signs – which are actually the most numerous regulatory signs – are oblong.
Traffic light sequence (UK):
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Red |
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Red and amber |
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Green |
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Amber |
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Red |
Documents that a driver (in the UK) must be able to produce if requested by police:
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Driving licence |
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Vehicle excise licence (tax disc) |
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Insurance certificate (third party is the legal requirement) |
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MOT test certificate (if applicable) |
The three types of traffic–light–controlled crossings described in the Highway Code are:
Since 2002, the theory part of the UK driving test has consisted of fifty multiple choice questions, and fourteen 60–second video clips designed to test |
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Hazard perception |
Firestone tyres are made in |
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USA |
Bridgestone tyres are made in |
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Japan |
Continental tyres are made in |
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Germany |
FSH (in a second–hand car advert) |
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Full Service History |
ABS |
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Anti–lock Braking System |
OHC |
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OverHead Camshaft |
Founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, original premises in Kensington; moved to Feltham, Middlesex in 1926; opened new factories at Bloxham, Oxfordshire in 1994, and Gaydon, Warwickshire in 2003; bought by Ford in 1994, then by a consortium of private investors in 2007, then by an Italian private equity fund in 2012 |
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Aston Martin | |
Founded in 1909 by August Horsch, who'd already set up one motor company with his own name but had been forced out of it; uses the Latin translation of that name (meaning "hark" or "listen") – said to have been suggested by the young son of an associate; symbol is four linked circles; bought by Volkswagen in 1966 |
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Audi | |
Founded in 1919 in Cricklewood, Middlesex; bought by Rolls Royce in 1931; moved to Crewe, Cheshire, in 1938 (site acquired by the government to support wartime manufacturing – made more than 25,000 "Merlin" aircraft engines during the war); bought by Volkswagen in 1998 |
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Bentley | |
Austin, Morris, Austin Healey, MG, Riley, Wolseley: main marques of |
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BMC (British Leyland) | |
Bought Rolls Royce Motors in 1998 |
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BMW | |
Badge represents a spinning propeller | |||
Founded in Alsace in 1909; enjoyed great success in Grand Prix racing between the wars; foundered following the death of its Italian–born founder in 1947, but revived in 1987 to produce high–performance sports cars; acquired by Volkswagen in 1998; produced the Veyron supercar, 2005–15; announced the Chiron in 2016 as the successor to the Veyron |
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Bugatti | |
Named after the French explorer who founded Detroit in 1701 (Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac); founded in 1902 after Henry Ford left the company that bore his name (going on to found the present Ford Motor Company in 1903); still headquartered in Detroit |
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Cadillac | |
FCA: the world's seventh–biggest car manufacturer – owns marques including Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lancia and Maserati; formed in 2014 when Fiat acquired (American manufacturer) |
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Chrysler | |
Founded in 1966, takes its name from the historic region that constitutes much of present–day Romania; bought by Renault in 1999; Romania's top company by revenue, and largest exporter |
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Dacia | |
Korean manufacturer bought by General Motors 2001; rebranded as Chevrolet 2005 |
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Daewoo | |
Produced the first successful four–wheeled petrol–driven motor car, and the first commercially available British motor car (1896) |
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Daimler | |
US–based company that manufactured the DMC–12 sports car, 1981–2, in the village of Dunmurry (just outside Belfast) |
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DeLorean | |
Based in Maranello, near Modena |
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Ferrari | |
Likes to call itself "the Blue Oval" (after its emblem); owned Aston Martin 1992–2007, Jaguar 1989–2008 (see Tata) |
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Ford | |
Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac: main US marques of |
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General Motors | |
Motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1903 in Milwaukee, Michigan; models include Fat Boy, Softail, Sportster, Electra Glide |
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Harley Davidson | |
The Goldwing motor cycle is manufactured by |
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Honda | |
South Korea's biggest car manufacturer: name means "modernity" |
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Hyundai | |
Genesis – officially announced as a stand–alone marque in 2015 – is the luxury vehicles division of | |||
Manufacturer of industrial vehicles, founded in Turin in 1975: models include the EuroCargo, EuroTech, EuroTrakker and EuroStar |
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Iveco | |
Formed in Blackpool, in 1922, by William Lyons and William Walmsley as the Swallow Sidecar Co. (a 1935 model was called the SS Jaguar); moved to Coventry in 1928; adopted its current name in 1945 (because of the Nazi associations of the SS name); bought by Ford in 1989, Tata in 2008 |
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Jaguar | |
Manufacturer of sports cars and commercial vehicles, founded in 1922 as W J Smith & Sons Limited; based in West Bromwich, Staffordshire; famous models included the Interceptor (1966–76); dissolved in 2011 |
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Jensen | |
South Korea's second largest car manufacturer (after Hyundai), and the first to offer a seven–year warranty on all cars sold in Europe |
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Kia | |
Luxury car manufacturer, founded in 1906 in Staines, Surrey, by Wilbur Gunn, an American former opera singer of Scottish ancestry; named after a beauty spot (creek) near his home town of Springfield, Ohio; bought by Aston Martin in 1947 |
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Lagonda | |
Switched from making farm machinery to ultra–desirable cars, in 1963; badge depicts a raging bull, in recognition of the founder's interest in bullfighting; the majority of its models have names that are related to bullfighting |
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Lamborghini |
Founded in 1917 by Henry Leland and his son Wilfred; named after the first Presidantial candidate that Leland Sr. had voted for; bought by Ford in 1922, and has been a luxury Ford brand ever since |
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Lincoln | |
Founded in 1952 by Colin Chapman – badge has "ACBC" (for Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman); based since 1966 in the village of Hethel, Norfolk; famous models include the Elan, Eclat, Elite, Esprit, and Elise |
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Lotus | |
Founded in 1926 by six Italian brothers; emblem is a trident |
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Maserati | |
Bongo (commercial vehicle): manufactured since 1966 by |
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Mazda | |
Originally the name of an engine, developed for Daimler by the German entrepreneur Emil Jellinek, who named it after his daughter |
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Mercedes | |
Founded in 1924 to market cars customised to the designs of salesman Cecil Kimber |
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MG (Morris Garages) | |
Logo is three diamonds |
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Mitsubishi | |
Has built cars by hand in Malvern, Worcestershire since 1910 |
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Morgan | |
First British car to sell a million |
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Morris Minor | |
Japanese company: opened a major new factory in Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, in 1986; by 2007 it was producing 400,000 vehicles per year, making it Europe's most productive car plant |
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Nissan | |
Infiniti is the luxury vehicle division of | |||
US marque: founded in 1897, bought by General Motors in 1908, discontinued in 2004; produced the 88, 1949–99 – its best seller from 1950 to 1974 – which gave its name to the 1951 song Rocket 88, often described as the first rock 'n' roll record |
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Oldsmobile | |
Badge is a lion rampant; introduced the acclaimed RCZ coupé in 2010 |
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Peugeot | |
Founded in Malaysia in 1983, to manufacture rebadged Mitsubishi models; bought Lotus in 1996 |
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Proton | |
Founded in 1935 by T. L. Williams at Tamworth, Staffordshire; based there until shortly before its demise in 2002; famous for the Robin 3–wheeler and the Scimitar sports model |
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Reliant | |
Formed as a result of a meeting in the Midland Hotel, Manchester, 1904; went bankrupt in 1971 |
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Rolls–Royce | |
Group that included the marques Hillman, Singer, Sunbeam and Humber |
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Rootes | |
Evolved from Starley & Sutton, of Coventry, founded in 1878 to make bicycles; made its first car in 1904; in 1967 it became part of Leyland Motor Corporation, which took its name in 1986 and was subsequently acquired by British Aerospace in 1988, sold to BMW in 1994, and split up in 2000 (BMW retained the Mini marque, sold Land Rover to Ford, and sold the remainder for £10 to a consortium headed by this company's former chief executive); ceased production in 2005 |
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Rover | |
Founded in 1950 in Martorell, Catalonia, by a state–owned company; controlled by Fiat from 1967; became Volkswagen's first non–German wholly–owned subsidiary in 1990; name is an acronym whose full expression translates into English as "Spanish Touring Car Company" |
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SEAT | |
Founded in 1895 in the Czech Republic, bought by Volkswagen in 2000 |
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Skoda | |
Established in 1994 as a joint venture between Swatch and Daimler–Benz |
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Smart | |
1924: Malcolm Campbell broke the world land speed record, driving a |
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Sunbeam | |
Bought Jaguar Cars from Ford in 2008 |
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Tata | |
US company, founded in 2003 and named after a Croatian–born physicist; specialises in making high–performance electric cars for the luxury market; unsuccessfully sued the BBC's Top Gear in 2011 following a review of the Roadster, which implied that it couldn't hold charge; Elon Musk is its co–founder, CEO, and product architect |
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Tesla | |
Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of |
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Toyota | |
Sports car maker, established in Blackpool 1946 (and owned until 1965) by Trevor Wilkinson |
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TVR | |
Founded in 1857 by Alexander Wilson, to make pumps and marine engines; bought in 1863 (and given its current name) by Andrew Betts Brown to make travelling cranes; began making cars in 1903; bought by General Motors in 1925; Bedford Vehicles was established in 1930 as a subsidiary to manufacture commercial vehicles; sold in 2017 to Groupe PSA (manufacturers of Peugeot, Citröen and DS) |
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Vauxhall | |
'I roll' in Latin |
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Volvo | |
Owns Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Skoda |
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Volkswagen |
The first car ever built in India: ceased production in 2014 after 56 years (British Leyland made a model with the same name, from 1982 to 1984) |
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Ambassador | |
Bentley's version (equivalent) of the Rolls–Royce Silver Seraph – produced 1998–2009 |
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Arnage | |
The first four–wheel drive saloon |
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Audi Quattro | |
The first British hatchback |
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Austin A40 | |
Small, low–cost sports car, produced by BMC (later British Leyland) from 1958 to 1971: marketed as one that "a chap could keep in his bike shed", and the successor to sporting versions of the pre–war Austin Seven; affectionately known as the 'frog–eye' because of its headlights, prominently mounted on top of the bonnet; see also MG Midget |
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Austin–Healey Sprite | |
Subject of the first Haynes Owner's Workshop Manual (titled as such), published in 1965 |
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The first mass–produced British car |
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Austin Seven | |
Vauxhall model: based on the Opel Ascona, replaced the Victor in 1975, replaced in 1995 by the Vectra |
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Cavalier | |
Land Rover model: production ceased in 2016, ending a run that went back to the company's original 1948 model |
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Defender |
The UK's best–selling car, every year from 2009 to 2017 (and counting) |
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Ford Fiesta | |
Chevrolet car (built since 1958, with some breaks): named after an antelope |
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Impala | |
Model produced by Aston Martin from 1974 to 1990: named after the luxury marque that Aston Martin had bought in 1947 |
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Lagonda | |
MG–badged, slightly more expensive version of the Austin–Healey Sprite; produced 1961–80 |
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Midget | |
Replaced the Model 'T' Ford, 1928 |
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Model 'A' | |
First British car to sell a million |
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Morris Minor | |
Launched in 2006, and named after an ethnic group from Iran (known in Japan and Australia as the Dualis) |
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Nissan Qashqai | |
Controversial Ford 'subcompact' (supermini), 1971–80 (North America only): with a reputation for fuel–tank fires associated with rear–end collisions; a leaked memo suggested that it was preferable to pay damages rather than to recall the car |
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Pinto | |
James Dean, when he died, was driving a |
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Porsche Spider 550 | |
Replaced the Ford Cortina in 1982; replaced by the Mondeo in 1994 |
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Sierra | |
Rolls–Royce's first car (Manchester, 1906 – Derby from 1908) |
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Silver Ghost |
Ford mid–sized model: the USA's best–selling car every year from 1992 to 1996 |
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Taurus | |
Name shared by cars made by Triumph (1970–6) and Seat (from 1991) – after a Spanish city, famous for sword–making; there is also a city in Ohio with the same name |
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Toledo | |
Volkswagen city car (World Car of the Year 2012): shares its name with a Pixar film released in 2009 |
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Up | |
Aston Martin model, launched in 1977 following the rescue of the company, and produced until 1989: hailed as "Britain's first supercar" for its 170 mph top speed |
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V8 Vantage | |
Publicised on introduction (1938) by the slogan 'strength through joy' |
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VW Beetle |
BMW stands for (in English) |
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Bavarian Motor Works | |
Britain's National Motor Museum |
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Beaulieu, Hampshire | |
Before cars, Rover made |
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Bicycles | |
Skodas are primarily manufactured in |
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Czech Republic | |
UK government department responsible for driving tests |
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Driving Standards Agency | |
You would find "Battenburg markings" on (an) |
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Emergency vehicle | |
Irish–born British tractor pioneer: made a deal with Henry Ford in 1938, to produce tractors incorporating his innovations in the USA; merged with Massey Harris of Canada in 1953 (following the expiry of most of his important patents), forming the company that combined his name with that of Massey |
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Harry Ferguson | |
Whitby Morrison, f.k.a. Whitby Specialist Vehicles – based in Crewe, Cheshire – is the world's leading manufacturer of |
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Ice cream vans | |
Builder of the first British motor car, 1894–5 (didn't market or sell any until Daimler had already done so); inventor of the disc brake |
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Frederick William Lanchester | |
The Gatso is a brand of |
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Speed camera |
Title, or name, of the Rolls–Royce emblem (statuette) |
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Spirit of Ecstasy | |
Manganese Bronze Holdings plc – once dealing in British motorcycle marques – now only makes |
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Taxis | |
Secretary who modelled for the Spirit of Ecstasy |
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Eleanor Thornton | |
Nickname of the Model 'T' Ford |
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Tin Lizzie | |
FIAT: the T stands for |
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Torino (Turin) | |
Up to 1963, Lamborghini made |
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Tractors | |
Depicted on the Rover badge (also a stylised one on the Skoda badge) |
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Viking longship |
© Haydn Thompson 2017–18