Nor does greater policing: stringent enforcement campaigns in France and Spain have successfully cut speeds, but Britain has seen a 20% drop in the number of traffic cops in the past decade, reckons Edmund King of the AA, a motoring lobby.

ECONOMIST: Drivers are slowing down to save money

Throughout the 1990s and into the early part of this decade, the minivan was the unquestioned king of family cars.

FORBES: How Crossovers Pushed Minivans Out of The Driveway

With an impressive 20 percent annualized return, silver is king of the commodity space over the past decade with gold (19 percent annualized) and copper (18 percent annualized) following closely behind.

FORBES: Commodities Were Market Beaters Last Decade, Look Good Again

The company's boxy, no-frills 800-cc model has been king of the road for more than a decade - even though there have been precious few changes in its interior, exterior or the engine.

CNN: INDIA'S CAR WARS