IN the days before four-wheel drives were modelled on Norfolk super-farms, the inclination was towards imitations of various Second World War Jeeps, much smaller off roaders made from silk stockings and chocolate.
Yes, of course, there was the 109-inch Land Rover so loved by the chiropractor community and men with an unnatural interest in winching.
Indeed I owned a Series lll and after my course of traction was complete decided to chop it for something better equipped and more comfortable. An ox, perhaps.
My eye was drawn to some of the small Japanese models, the Daihatsu Okinawa and Suzuki Tenko, compact and basic as a sniper's rations they had tiny engines and a lot of attitude.
In the end I imported a 1,600cc, Russian Vaz.
A terrifying experience, not because the steering wheel was on the wrong side, or because the heater was designed to work on the principle of a blast freezer but because it was so reliable and we had been told that the communists would never prevail because in their Bakelite world nothing would start in the morning. Anyway, there was no one to press the button, because the strategic forces were busy drinking all the anti freeze.
Not once did this car fail. Either mechanically or in the field. Yes it developed more holes than Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's gulag underwear but it always worked. I began to realise that in the event of Mrs Thatcher poking the bear enough we were in trouble and may even have to resort to dropping Norman Lamont on Moscow.
Suzuki continues to produce a small 4x4, the Jimny, on the face of it a cheeky little man bag of a car, a stylish way to be different around town and, because it has just 1.3-litres of capacity and promises 40mpg, a car that cost very little to run.
Splendid, you say, just what I need. A 4x4 city car that will make me as socially unique as pink fog.
This, however, would be an error. The trouble with the Jimny is people will insist on driving it on roads. An experience, I imagine, close to that of living inside a kangaroo.
The same suspension that makes the car a game terrier off road makes for a braless ride on it.
Obviously there's not much point taking about performance, you have to thrash the engine to within an inch of its life to get any sort of momentum.
And the handling? Oh dear, this isn't going very well is it?
Equipment on the £11,000 SZ4 model includes part leather seats, air conditioning, leather wheel trim and privacy glass over the standard roof rails, fogs, CD radio and electric windows.
Roomy? No.
So apart from much cheapness why would you buy one?
Ah, well, that would be because you are in love with mud .
With electronic four wheel drive engagement, good ground clearance and Jack Russell proportions the Jimny is a great off roader in the tradition that pre-dates towing caravans. It is light, hardcore and hilarious.
My advice? Get hold of one and make a friend of your local farmer.