Setting the much-maligned Reliant Regal aside for one moment, three-wheeled cars are cool.
The reason for the poor Regal's lack of composure is simply that Reliant got it the wrong way around: you should always have two wheels at the front or a sociopath in a Mini will tip you over every time ...
When you do get the wheels in the right places, three is a perfectly good number to have fun with.
That is probably why the revival of Castle Three is a good thing indeed, if it happens. Looking at the photos above, you could be forgiven for shouting "Morgan knock-off", but you would not only get some strange looks, you would also be wrong.
You see, Castle Three was building three wheelers back in the 1920s, admittedly when Morgan was doing exactly the same thing - so in effect they were a Morgan knock-off after all. But they have a decent heritage in this sort of thing.
To do things a bit differently for the car industry, but fairly common for start-ups in other industries, Castle Three is trying to crowd-fund the three-wheeler project. While it hasn't yet raised the funds to get under way, UK magazine Autocar reports that Castle Three is still working on it.
The company says it will break even selling just 60 cars a year, but it hopes to build as many as 500.
Speaking of three wheels ... Morgan has just announced the 2014 upgrades to its three-wheeled creation. The company says that since its introduction in 2011, it has sold 1000 vehicles to "thrilled customers". Which is pretty damn impressive for something that defines the term "niche vehicle".
The 2014 Morgan Three Wheeler gets increased torsional stiffness for better handling, the centre drive unit is beefed up and the rear-mounted 90-degree bevel box is isolated to reduce noise vibration harshness.
The steering has been revised to eliminate bump steer and improve high-speed stability and, for those misguided individuals who intend to use their Morgan in slow-speed urban environments, an optional Urban Cooling Pack is offered. Styling is said to be updated, as well, with new graphics, colour combinations and the vented bodywork.
While the term "keeping ahead of the competition" is relative here, with a new player popping its head up in the three-wheel segment we guess anything helps.
Car wraps fail taste test then and now
So you thought the current craze for car wraps was a new thing? Think again, buddy. This ad for the Newhouse Automotive Industries ''Car-D-Cal'' proves they were a thing in 1954.
While today's wraps cover the entire car - usually in something appalling such as chrome or matt colours - the 1954-era equivalent was a ''spot treatment'' applied to certain areas for a little extra ''class''.
We use the term cautiously.
From a ''rich, vivid four colour Tartan plaid'' to ''saucy polka dots that add a bit of WOW'', the Car-D-Cal sounds like it had all the taste and class of its modern equivalent.
We are the world ...
*An unnamed man was arrested in Houston, Texas, for trashing a number of luxury cars _ including several Mercedes, a Rolls-Royce, an Aston Martin and a Fisker - with a shotgun, while naked.
A witness is quoted as saying: ''He looked normal, but I am sure he was on something.''
Nice to know it is considered ''normal'' to run around naked with a shotgun in Houston ...
*The Detroit News has recently reported that thefts of tailgates have rocketed from just three in 2008 to more than 500 in the past year.
Apparently thieves have just figured out that tailgates are both easily damaged and easily removed, although the fact that they have also been relatively inexpensive until recently has probably meant that the majority of thefts have gone unreported until now.
At Honda, the tale is wagon
Image 1 of 5: Car D Cal car decals
Now believe us when we say this, but we honestly never thought this statement would appear in print again, but here it is: Honda has unveiled the coolest racing car in existence at the moment. That's right, Honda.
The car is the Japanese company's entrant into next year's Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (the legendary BTCC). And the reason it is so cool? It is a wagon ... Yup, Honda is doing exactly what Volvo did to make itself an absolute legend in the BTCC's rich history and entering a wagon version of one of its cars into the championship.
The Civic Tourer will replace the hatch as the Honda Yuasa Racing entrant for the 2014 season, with drivers Matt Neal and Gordon ''Flash'' Shedden focusing on continuing Honda's clean sweep of teams' and manufacturers' championships, as well as regaining the drivers' title that both narrowly missed out on this year.
''Racing with the Civic Tourer means no compromise over the Civic hatchback,'' says team manager Peter Crolla. ''The weight, wheelbase, layout and suspension remain the same, but naturally the length of the car is extended due to the larger tailgate.''
The Volvo 850R that ran in the BTCC in 1994 surprised a whole lot of ''experts''. It also made wagons exceptionally cool, especially when liveried up and thrashing around race tracks. Yay Honda, The Good Oil was pretty convinced you had given up being awesome completely. We are so happy you have proved us wrong.
NYC cops get new perspective on texters
Texting while driving is about the stupidest thing you can do behind the wheel.
That is why the cops in New York City have come up with a particularly clever solution to policing the problem.
New York has made it a primary offence to text while driving but, like every other police department, found it a difficult offence to police, as most offenders simply text with the phone down in their lap.
That is why they have recently taken delivery of 32 unmarked SUVs so that officers can look down into cars and see what the drivers are up to. While the SUVs might be the recently released Interceptor SUV (pictured), they could also be pretty much any SUV on the market.
New York's texting policy is one of the most aggressive in the US, with a fine of up to US$200 ($245) and five demerit points on an offender's licence. But the state has also set up designated texting zones to allow motorists to easily pull off the freeway to take calls and send texts.
Number Crunching
35 MANUFACTURERS The companies that make three-wheeled cars with two wheels at the front.
25 MANUFACTURERS The companies that make three-wheeled cars with two wheels at the rear.
