‘Do you really want to waste 20 hours a week stuck in traffic?’

No excuses in recent weeks we have all had time to reminisce, replicate, reassess. As we ought to. Seize the possibility, I say. Constructive interruptions assist in times of crisis and tragedy – think me, I know. So recall these gloriously carefree childhood days when you had been happily perched – ghastly, sugary, fizzy drink in hand – on the rear seat of the family members car. Take pleasure in reliving the moment you obtained your to start with car remind by yourself of the finest drives of your lifestyle and the close friends and cherished ones you drove them with. Dig out these pale shots – and frame them.

Hunting forward, what greater time than now to assess and provisionally decide what your next automobile will be powered by? I’d also urge you to assume about how considerably driving you are going to do the moment ‘normality’ returns, when we’ll all live in a extremely various planet.

If you’re just one of the thousands and thousands of commuters who used the greatest part of four several hours a day driving to and from perform, question by yourself if you really want, or need, to waste these twenty several hours a week in generally bumper-to-bumper traffic. I made use of to be a one,000-hour-a-year commuter, driving day by day from suburb to metropolis centre to suburb on traffic-choked roads, ordinarily in the darkish, at an ordinary of 9mph. And I can confirm that if you’ve obtained a partner and/or young children at dwelling, it is soul-destroying.

Sir Stirling Moss was the maestro of axing the commute – by operating his motorsport, media, and property empire from his dwelling. Pretty much 50 {7e488363c11ee5ef50445c8c4fa770b6e6e4f99e57faea264a05ac52abb3ffe0} a century back, Stirling in impact invented the hello-tech dwelling business/studio/workshop. Yes, he had cars and bikes inches from his desk, benches and other workstations. But the position is that he did not blow his time, or hinder his output, by commuting.

Stirling’s passing has obtained me thinking how blessed I am to have recognised, and often labored alongside him. I’ve used time with other good British car men, as well. Aston Martin has greater-than-lifestyle manager Andy Palmer and inventive guru, Marek Reichman. Fiat’s main is Britain’s Mike Manley, though just one of the firm’s longest-serving vice-presidents is Richard Gadeselli – born in, and nevertheless a resident of, London. Goodwood’s obtained Charlie March, aka The Duke of Richmond, who’s THE most British bloke I’ve ever satisfied. JLR CEO Ralf Speth was a German, but is now a British citizen. Fortunately, he’s retained two of the world’s leading designers, Julian Thompson and Gerry McGovern, who personify what will make Britain good. Not that I’ll forgive Ralf for allowing a further Brit style and design god, Wayne Burgess, leave Jaguar for Geely. In no way brain, he’s nevertheless as British as beans on toast with brown sauce.

Peugeot-Citroen has been smart ample to recruit and give leading jobs to Linda Jackson at its HQ, but that doesn’t cease her retaining her classy, correct-Brit standing. The similar goes for the world’s greatest-recognised car designer, Ian Callum, and planet No.one style and design engineer, Gordon Murray, who life in a just one-bedroomed dwelling – with about 18 garages.

All the higher than are amongst the greatest of British – but they are just for starters there are loads more wherever they came from. So let’s give each and every very last just one of ’em considerably more of the recognition and credit score they richly are entitled to, can we? Make sure you?

Do you concur with Mike? Enable us know your views in the responses area beneath…