We have had the opportunity to drive a variety of great British sports cars on the roads and a race circuit of leafy, sunny Surrey. They cover more than 60 years of the golden age of our motor industry, which, let’s face it, is today a shadow of its former self.

Wealthy Brits, including the Bentley Boys and various racing champs such as Hawthorn, Hamilton, Clark, Hill and Moss, added glamour through their motor-racing exploits, but the real romance of the sports car was cemented after WW2 when returning American GIs, sailors and airmen took home memories of motoring through the hedgerows to local pubs for a pint of warm ale in British soft-tops.

Our dominant motor industry cranked up production after the war, with sports cars aimed squarely at the American market following the mantra ‘export or die’. So we have our US friends to thank for the rag tops of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.

And what of the line-up we have here? The Frazer Nash is 80 years old but you would never believe it. It offers the most tactile and rewarding feedback of all the cars assembled. A motorised adrenalin pump! The beautiful AC Ace is worth over £200,000, and is almost as rewarding but without the vintage rough edges. You could argue its looks and behaviour are almost perfect, and it is the most desirable car here. The MGC is a capable GT and does not warrant its poor reputation, while the effective Lotus Elise can be had for under £10,000. A true bargain.

Triumph’s TR6 is a comfortable softy and more refined than expected, and the TVR 450SE is a show-off. The Lotus Elan is probably the best all-rounder here, combining uncanny handling with a ground-covering ability that belies its small-capacity yet willing engine.

But the ultimate sports car I would really, really want to own is the completely barmy, oil-spattered ’Nash. Fast, scary but offering pure, untrammelled driving pleasure. So much for progress…