The example of the Aston Martin Cygnet

One of the truly stupid transport options of recent decades is the Aston Martin Cygnet. Aston, as we know, is a car brand with a history of going bust (8 times so far we believe) while attempting to make large engined sports cars for the discerning. The authorities, in their wisdom, decided that emissions should be decided across the fleets sold by a manufacturer. So, someone who only made, as specialists, large engined cars would be driven out of business. Thus the production of a 1.33 litre car to lower those average emissions.

Given the insanity of the outcome here obviously the authorities would not impose such heinously stupid targets again, would they?

At least 22 per cent of the cars manufacturers sell next year will have to be electric – or they could face fines of up to £15,000 per car they miss their target by.

That’s if the latest government proposals get the go ahead. Ministers have today announced proposed new targets as part of a major green agenda which details tough goals and punitive measures for car makers.

Har, har, har. gotcha there. For of course what the authorities have done is look at the Cygnet and insist that we should have much more of that.

When we all hope that people will learn from their mistakes that wish is that people will not repeat them - instead of using error as the template for the next action. But that’s not how government works, is it?