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Car owners became competent DIY mechanics out of necessity rather than desire Then, as now, the Autocar road test was unable to address long-term reliability issues Right up to the late 1970s, cars needed plenty of regular maintenance. They were immeasurably less complex than today, however, and impecunious owners did their own servicing. Morris Minors were popular, being particularly easy to work on. It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that most cars were properly rustproof. Some of the most rust-prone models emerged from Italy and Japan during the 1970s, among the worst being the notoriously self-destructing Alfa Romeo Alfasud Key components needed regular checks Improved oils enhanced engine reliability You’d be greasing at least three chassis joints every 500 miles to keep your Morris Minor on the road, and that was only the start of your labours.