The Little Car definitely has something! It's been reprinted many times, translated into other languages, and in 2016 is being re-published in Russian. The stories owe a lot to drives in the English countryside with Leila's husband Harry at the wheel of an original Austin 7 (with flip-up indicators and possibly a hand-operated throttle) with the kids Jenny and Danny aged about 6 and 10 in the back, playing I Spy With My Little Eye and other such games.