And possibly also of how this process has been going on since the late 19th century.

There is, of course, more to it than that. While cars have gone from being the horse-frightening playthings of the wealthy and adventurous to everyday transport for millions of people, the entire motoring infrastructure has had to evolve in order to keep up: road signs, speed limits, fast motorways and the rest.

Here’s how things have developed in the areas of safety, legality, convenience and sport – and where they all started.