From the time the first cars appeared on the road until the 1970s, no one bothered very much about fuel consumption. In some countries, various taxes charged on petrol made it. Expensive to buy, so car makers there emphasized the fuel economy of their cars, but no one really worried about the petrol supply running out.

Then, following a war in 1973 in the Middle East where much of world’s oil and petrol comes from, a worldwide shortage occurred. Throughout Europe and America there were massive queues at petrol station as drivers waited

To feed their fuel-guzzling machines. And, when the taps were turned back on and petrol was generally available again, its price had risen sharply. The days of plentiful, fairly cheap fuel were over.