This was THE cult car when I was growing up in New Zealand in the 1960s.

Probably only saw a couple down there – rich farmers used to import stuff like that (Ferrari 250LM, Jaguar E, Reliant Scimitar) and race them at Pukekohe racetrack against packs of Mini Cooper S’s and hotted up Anglias that got left in their wake on the back straight and then scrabbled around and crawled all over them in the corners.

The cow-cockies being decidedly careful with their trophy toys..

My Uncle John had one in Saint Louis when he was on the RAF’s Chinook procurement team in the late 60s and I even toyed with the idea of buying one about 20 years back when the dollar was as advantageous as it is these days.

That ended up being a Mercury Capri, which is a different story altogether

But I never drove one until last week and it shattered more than a few illusions.

OK, I KNOW it’s Avis and I KNOW it’s not going to be a top-of-the-line-loaded-with-extras model, but it has to have BASIC stuff.

Doesn’t it?

Like a seat that locks back in position when you’ve finished loading stuff on the back seat.

Like a boot (trunk?) release?

Like an indicator to show you which drive you’ve selected?

Like some way of telling what the outside temperature is?

Really useful – essential…? – in a New England winter..

But it’s got a cool remote locking widget. With a panic alarm. That works from the 4th floor of the hotel.

So here I am in the hotel room, cursing the idiot whose car has sitting down in the parking lot making whoops and hollers up and down the scale like a banshee for the last 5 minutes, when I look out of the window and….

Like I said – a REALLY cool remote locking widget.

With a panic alarm. On a hair trigger.