In addition to trains, the auction includes a mind-boggling catalog labeled "art and automobilia" that offers everything from a mint condition pedal car version of a 1923 Packard Deluxe Doctor's Coupe to a 1929 erector set designed to make a model zeppelin.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Sixteen people died on motorcycles, 23 people in a car or van, two were pedal cyclists and six were pedestrians.

BBC: NEWS | UK | England | Devon | Roads see 25% increase in deaths

For example, a car could gently increase the gas-pedal spring pressure when the speed is too high -- the navigation system knows how tight that upcoming curve is, remember -- or apply a light twist to the steering wheel if the car is drifting off course.

CNN: Behold the?all-seeing, self-parking, safety-enforcing, networked car

As soon as I touch the brake pedal -- better late than never -- the car's brake-assist tugs them on at max effort.

CNN: Behold the?all-seeing, self-parking, safety-enforcing, networked car

After parking his car, he plans to unfold the bike and pedal to meetings around his ward.

BBC: Bus pass and folding bike help councillors cut costs

"When people know their bike will be safe, it makes sense to pedal to the event, to not worry about parking their car, trying to grab a cab, or manage the overflowing buses, " Ms. Smith said.

WSJ: Barclays Pedals Bike Valet Service

It's interesting to experience, but we didn't notice any swaying toward the tail-end of the car while accelerating no matter how far we pressed the pedal down.

ENGADGET: Audi A3 e-tron hands-on (video) Hands-on

He argues that with antilock brake and stability systems, 100 percent reliability is possible because they merely survey signals from within the car: wheel speed, pressure applied to the brake pedal, and so on.

CNN: Behold the?all-seeing, self-parking, safety-enforcing, networked car

Basically, using the car's "engine braking" is what let us stay off the brake pedal.

ENGADGET: Audi A3 e-tron hands-on (video) Hands-on