How to drive like a gentleman

We all know what modern roads are like - rude, uncivilised places where it's every man or woman for themselves. Manners and etiquette have been virtually wiped out but it wasn't always so.

If you yearn for the good old days when cars were seen as an extension of one's finesse and gentle sensibilities, then this new book, the Gentlemen's Guide to Motoring, could be for you.

Written by Vic Darkwood- the creator of The Chap Manifesto - this illustrated guide aims to show the 'art of motoring in exquisite style'. From tweed-heavy fashion to tips on how to woo the ladies, the guide reads like a genteel version of the Highway Code. It's a nostalgic and sometimes silly look back at the romantic days of motoring.

MSN Cars: Goodwood Festival of Speed 2012
MSN Cars: How to drive like a racing driver

Here are some tips to start you on your mission to gentlemanly driving:

Ten rules for the gentleman motorist

1. A gentleman motorist recognises only two speeds - a moderate tootle or a fair old lick.

2. The gentleman motorist eschews mundane traffic manoeuvres, and instead errs on the side of the impressively flamboyant.

3. The selection of a vehicle should be based on the shininess of its metalwork, the voluptuousness of its design and its pre-1973 vintage.

4. Never venture behind the wheel of a car unless in suitable attire accompanied with goggles and a pipe. It is impossible for a gentleman motorist to wear too much tweed.

5. Always greet members of the constabulary with a distant respect and avoid endearments such as 'My dear' or 'Me old china'.

6. Never take the names of Stirling Moss, Alfred Dunhill, W.O. Bentley or Alec Issigonis in vain.

7. A gentleman regards the laws of the highway merely as a starting point on which to build his own artistic theories and extemporisations.

8. Treat fellow road-users with the utmost courtesy even if most of them are hapless fools. A gentleman's motto is 'I doff therefore I am'.

9. A gentleman must make a study of car mechanics, but only to the point where he is able to convincingly fake expertise beneath the bonnet.

10. Remember the days of the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, Silverstone Classic and Goodwood Revival and keep them holy.

MSN Cars: The speed issue

The Gentleman's Guide to Motoring By Vic Darkwood is out now, AA Publishing, £9.99.