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To many, British automotive engineering is an oxymoron.  Unfortunately the stories and jokes about Lucas electrical components have a foundation in truth and being out after dark in a British car is il-advised.   In a country with such damp and inclement weather one might reasonably avoid using wood in frame and body components; wouldn't you think?   Why do old British cars have positive ground electrical systems while almost all other cars in the world have had negative ground?  The steering wheel on the right??   What's with whitworth nuts and the British Standard thread system?   Does anyone really know how anSU carburetor works?  To understand how a preselector gear box works one needs to understand orbital physics.

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Being an enthusiast of classic British cars is to be an adventure seeker.  The laws of physics as they might be expected to apply to British cars are more like suggestions than absolute laws.   There is almost something mystical about the operation of British automotive machinery.  When the wipers work on a rainy day it is best not to wonder why; just savor the moment.

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An interest in classic British cars is, in fact, an affliction; CBCS (Classic British Car Syndrome).  It is a condition that professional help, multiple step programs and interventions have proved to be ineffective in curing.  The afflicted are unable to resist the urge to intervene in the life of old British road machines. 

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