An A-road transport cafe circa 1958, the atmosphere thick with intrigue and cheap-cigar fumes. The waitress, a twin for comedy starlet Liz Fraser, scowls at the attempts of four businessmen at the win

BRENT, NORTH LONDON

THIRSK, NORTH YORKSHIRE

A car park in rapidly changing Northampton reveals some rarities – and a surprising absence

Every so often a brilliant GTI leaves Wolfsburg – look no further than the 1976 original or the new Edition 50. But why have so many of them been so underwhelming?

Once they headed the company car parks of Eighties Britain, now these executive icons offer prestige, nostalgia and pure driving pleasure from £5k. But which of these trading-floor titans best rewards the shrewd classic motorist?