Wisdom has it that you should never look back, not just to avoid walking into a lamp post but because however shiny and nostalgic it is, return to the past is impossible.
In 1985 Britain was seen as a land of self employment opportunity. After the playschool teaching methods of the 70s, few people could actually spell it but the word on everyone's lips was entrepreneurial.

Trotters Independent Trading was not comedy concept, it was a lifestyle aspiration.
All those disciples of Maggie who described their occupation as ‘I have my own business’ wanted to a nice, shiny Beemer outside the lockup. And Mrs Lockup expected a 3-Series up her fake block paving, even though it had no radio and windows were wound down by hand, sometimes breaking a nail.
Sadly, however, we all put on weight with age. In1985 I weighed 11st 10lb naked. Now there is a local by-law preventing me from actually being naked.
The 3-Series grew, too. It was slowly weighed down with technological jewellery, becoming the fully equipped size 16 middle-aged lady who lunches it is today.
The truth was that Paul Young may have been prepared to live in the love of the common people but BMW wasn’t.
Every time an ABC-1 focus group asked for something new they got it until one day, fighting the flab with Wogan, the 3-Series climbed on the scales and the scales surrendered.
Leaving room for something cheekily smaller. A bit on the side. The 1-Series.
If the 3-Series was aspirationally right for the days of Thatcherite boom the 118d fits the bill during Brownwellian bust.
The reasons for this popularity are clear. The 118 offers strong engineering credentials and economy. With performance.
No seriously, this is like opening a toilet paper factory a week before an outbreak of dysentery. You can’t believe your luck.
It has Efficient Dynamics, a package that includes battery charging through braking, auto stop-start, shutting the car down at traffic lights, radiator flaps so the engine heats up quicker and an optimum gear shift indicator. Even the steering uses no power in the straight ahead position, contributing to remarkably solid handling.
All this, along with the 1,995cc turbodiesel unit and a six-speed gearbox, offers the possibility of 60mpg. In fact not long ago the 118d’s figures would have a work of Jeffrey Archer fiction; 143bhp, 130mph top speed, 8.8 seconds to 60mph and Co2 at 123gm/k.
On the road there are few smoother diesels in this engine size.
There is a full inventory of security and safety equipment but luxury goods only run to electric windows and mirrors, CD-radio, and spit seats. Climate control will cost an extra £1,065 and sat-nav £1,500. Even alloys are extra at £425.
No matter what short comings the 118d has, rear wheel drive may be predictable but it makes the back seats a squeeze and standard equipment at £18,225 is not great, it rekindles the days of flushed neuvo riche excitement embodied in the BMW badge without having to sell your carpet shop to run it.
And if things carry on as they are, there is simply no going back from that.

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