Erin Baker: 120 years of Motoring in one day

When the 1900 Daimler was on the road, roughly one-third of cars were powered by petrol, one-third by steam, and one-third by electricity. One hundred and sixteen years later, we are again using petrol, electricity and hydrogen (with a by-product of water) for propulsion.

In 1900, the speed limit was 14mph. Just a couple of years later, cars would be running at a staggering 40mph, such was that pace of development. And now? We’re rapidly reducing every urban speed limit from 40mph to 30mph to 20mph. A couple more years and we’ll be back down to 14mph, and local authorities will start looking for a man to carry a red flag again.

The only retrograde step I feel sure we won’t make (ha, I’ve said it now), is in the materials we build cars from and furnish them with. The Daimler weighed a tonne (literally), with wooden wheels, metal and glass lamps, and huge leather guards arching over the wheels. 

The i8 is a supreme example of how light, yet how strong, chassis are getting, with a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) tub and exceptional dynamic composure through the corners. And look at Bentley, in particular, for the attention focused on sustainable materials as well as those that are merely light and strong. They frequently wheel out Stefan Sielaff, their Design Director, on numerous occasions to talk about the sustainable materials they are looking at, like protein leathers, stone veneers, textiles and so on. A walnut burr veneer or a hide-bound seat from the rarest cows will command an unimaginable premium in a few years’ time; they’ll be the bespoke options in commissioning suites.

The one thing that hasn't changed, hasn’t transformed one iota in more than a century of motoring, is, thankfully, the driver’s desire for personal liberty. One hundred and twenty years ago, they celebrated the raising of the speed limit with the first Emancipation Run (the red flag had already been abolished; one is ceremonially burned at the start of each London to Brighton Run). You can see drivers of sportscars and performance cars in a few years’ time having to organise special runs to celebrate the rare pleasure of driving a naturally aspirated V8 or V12, in a world of Google and Uber electric automated pods. Like it or not, these petrol-guzzling machines are going to be the endangered species of our time; museum and collector pieces, brought out of retirement for commemorative runs or track days. One moment in time, at least, will be well and truly over, with no chance of coming round again.