Flared trousers, Dr Who, the Labour Party - everything makes a comeback. Next will be nodding dogs and vinyl roofs. There's now a book about them. The craze has begun. It will gather momentum and soon there may be a TV series.
Meanwhile, Nodding Dogs & Vinyl Roofs by Haynes explains everything you need to know about quirky car accessories. Being knowledgeable about exhaust flamethrowers, tiger tails and bolt-on fins is an essential prerequisite of leading a fashion revival.
Author, Stephen Vokins, has trawled the weird world of motoring add-ons to produce a fantastic collection of everything from acetylene lamps to windscreen wiper kits - passing through gradient meters and pop-up spoilers.
Acetylene lamps are from a bygone age but advertising hubcaps are a recent invention. Cleverly, the centres do not rotate even when the vehicle is moving - so you can always read what they say. Boot luggage racks were a practical addition and, arguably, significantly raised the value of some of the rusty old sports cars to which they were fixed. Will they be popular again? Probably only with owners of rusty old sports cars.
A definite deterrent to 'tailgaters' is the exhaust flamethrower. It's undoubtedly impressive after dark but singeing pedestrians' shoes may not be such a good idea. Much more sensible are fluffy dice - still popular after all these years. A great complement to 'tiger-skin' seat covers and hairy steering wheel covers, if you feel at all embarrassed about fluffy dice choose ones with air fresheners inside - and laugh them off as a practical accessory. Or how about the Navirobo, currently only available in Japan? This little gem is an animated teddy bear that gives directions to the driver in place of a boring old screen..
Many of the accessories featured in Nodding Dogs & Vinyl Roofs were actually considered clever when first introduced. There's the Collite illuminated magnifier for reading maps whose age is apparent from the 20 shillings price tag. Kiddyproof door handles were another clever idea in the era before childproof locks - and good value at just 30 shillings each.
The list goes on. Do you remember matt black bonnets, air horns that played a tune and kits for powering windows? Read Nodding Dogs & Vinyl Roofs and enjoy a good laugh but be forewarned, when the tiger tail craze returns (as it inevitably will) there'll be panic buying. Better get yours now.
Author Stephen Vokins has worked at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, for 25 years, as manager of the film and video department, and now also Corporate Relations Manager. His spare time is devoted to writing and broadcasting about cars, he has been a presenter on Granada's Men & Motors, writes motoring columns for a variety of publications, and lives in Beaulieu, Hampshire.
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STEPHEN VOKINS IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW
Review copies available
Notes to Editors:
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Haynes Publishing
Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7JJ
Telephone: 01963 440635 Fax: 01963 440001 E-mail: sales@haynes.co.uk
www.haynes.co.uk
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Registered in England, Number: 1449587 Registered Office: Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7JJ
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