Then – Roadside phonebox
Legend has it that as recently as the 1960s the UK's Prime Minister relied on the nation's phoneboxes to respond in the event of a nuclear attack.
Yes, really. Apparently radios were viewed as too expensive.
Whatever, connectivity for the average motorist used to mean finding a phonebox or just shouting into the wind - we were decades away even from those clunky carphones that were a thing fleetingly until someone realised that they were a teensy bit dangerous.
Now – Mobile broadband and cloud connectivity
Built-in 4G? In-car Wi-Fi? Cloud connectivity? It's all in the mix. Obvious benefits include things like traffic data and in-car Google searches.
Even better, many cars can now also automatically contact the emergency services and transmit your location in the event of an accident or phone home when there's a technical fault.
Some manufacturers, including BMW and Toyota, allow you to control features, including door locks and climate control, remotely with a smartphone app.
And Ford's even partnered with Amazon to let those with an Echo device in the house just shout to turn their car on - or remotely tell your abode to get warm when you're on your way home, later this year.
