Advances in motoring have been happening on a regular basis over the past 120 years or so, the latest being the arrival of the driverless car next spring (rather you than me).

Back in the 1930s, it was all very different, as this report from October 24, 1936, demonstrates:

“At Olympia, the latest ideas in car comfort and the 1937 models are now on view. The improvements that have been made in the last 30 years are nothing short of marvellous.

Mr Matthew Arnold, the well-known Watford solicitor, can claim to be one of the first motorists in Watford. Talking to an “Observer” representative this week, he said:

“‘The first car I ever had was a Rex tricar in 1903. The first lady motorist in the town was Mrs Monro, who had an ordinary tricycle, to the handlebar of which was attached an auxiliary motor. She learned to drive on the West Herts Ground on this before she had a coachbuilt car made by Mr Dick Ellis.

“‘In those days we all used to have to do our own repair work. The engine never had more than one cylinder and we thought nothing of taking down the cylinder head on the road if necessary. There were no magnetos; the cars were all driven by batteries. There were no garages then and we used to have to go to a blacksmith’s for spare parts. One day, I remember breaking a cardan shaft on a hill in the neighbourhood of Ashridge. When we got to the nearest village blacksmith’s I had to find the parts I needed myself. In those days car engines were very simple, but nowadays I know nothing about them.

“‘We used to buy our petrol in circular two-gallon tins which were purchased from Capel, Carless and Co. or Messrs Bowley. If you went 3,000 miles on a set of tyres you did very well indeed. Twenty miles an hour was the speed limit and if you did 15 you were doing a very good speed.

“‘I remember appearing for Dr Bonsor, of Berkhamsted, who claimed damages for breach of warranty against the inventor of a non-skid tyre. The case was heard at Market Harborough and I went up there on my tricar. Judge Whiteman Wood had to examine the tyre. ‘Is this what you call a pneumatic tyre?’ he asked. ‘That is the outer cover,’ I replied. ‘How do you keep the wind in it?’ was his next question.”

Mr Arnold was the chairman of the first motoring organisation in Watford, the West Herts Motor Club, of which Mr T. Williams, of Station Road, was the secretary. There were not more than 20 cars in Watford at that time.

Afterwards the West Herts Auto Club came into being. At that time, the clubs were very keen on hill climbs. The hill near Halton was used for these meetings and Mr Arnold, who on three or four occasions acted as marshal, well remembers the sensation caused when Mr Tom Thornycroft attained a speed of 40 miles an hour.

The late Dr Gruggen, who was Medical Officer of Health for several local West Herts authorities, was another pioneer in motoring.

“‘I remember once Dr Gruggen broke his spark advance lever and came home with an umbrella rib in its place,’ said Mr Arnold. ‘On another occasion, the doctor had to go to Whetstone and as he was short of petrol on the return journey the tilt of the car on a hill prevented the petrol from getting to the carburettor. Whisky was then half-a-crown a bottle, so the doctor went into a public house, bought a bottle of whisky, and emptied it into the petrol tank. The whisky was heavier and so the petrol floated on top of it, and that is how he got the car home.

“‘Every day dozens of hay-carts used to pass through Watford and Aylesbury to London and come back at night. I was once driving home along the Hempstead Road with only oil lamps when I heard a warning shout. I was doing about 15mph; I trod on my brakes and skidded into something large and soft. I thought I had hit a hay-cart but to my surprise it was an elephant, being brought by road from Birmingham to London.

“‘This elephant was tethered in the yard of the Essex Arms that night and in the early hours of the morning, Mr Cook, then manager of Lloyds Bank, heard stealthy tappings on the window. He telephoned to the police station that burglars were trying to break into the bank. Superintendent Wood and a squad of police came along and searched the yard, only to find the “burglar” was the elephant, which had broken loose during the night!’”

Motoring enthusiasts were Spartan then. It was not until he purchased his third car that Mr Arnold had a windscreen fitted. His first four-wheel car was an Alldays and Onions “Traveller” with a “garden seat” for two passengers in the front and the driver’s seat behind them. His next car was a Rover and its improvements included a windscreen and two small doors.

Saloon models and streamline effects were not even dreamed about.