We've taken the journey from London to the Goodwood Revival near Chichester to see the best cars from an era gone by. More importantly, we've noticed the technology gone by, or gone all together in some cases, replaced by in-car tech we now take for granted.

Ford showed us around its old cars, as well as letting us take some of its more modern motors out for a spin. It's shocking how much we take for granted in modern cars, and we don't just mean turbo-induced speeds or satnav.

Windscreen de-icing

Something that nearly everyone has had to do at some point in their lives is to de-ice a windscreen. Whether with a pot of boiling water or scraping away with a credit card, it's not the most fun way to start a day on an icy morning. Modern Ford windscreens now employ a heating technology that quickly clears away ice ready for the road.

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Much like the technology found in the rear windows of all cars, these windscreens have a thinner, more translucent set of these heating wires. To look at the screen you might not notice them initially, but when you're sitting in a warm car letting it de-ice the windows for you it's certainly something you'll appreciate.

Parallel parking

Parking a car between two other vehicles on a busy high street, while being watched, is a perilous task. That's why it's such a major part of the driving test. But now with automatic parallel parking it's easy.

On the Ford Kuga we tested, which would otherwise be tough to park, we simply drove along until the car notified we'd passed a space big enough. We stopped and popped it in reverse then simply worked the power as the wheel magically turned itself. Back into first gear to finish up, with the car still steering, and we were done. How we ever lived without this, we don't know.

Locking

Remember using one of these? A crook lock was a pretty common sight 10 years ago. Now you'll be hard pressed to find one anywhere. Not because criminals are suddenly less ambitious, but because car security is that much better.

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Most modern cars now come with immobilisers meaning the engine won't be able to start without the correct key. Most cars won't even be accessible from the outside without the key thanks to remote locking. Gone are the days of sliding a wire coat hanger down the window to pop the door lock when you've locked your keys in the car.

Map learning

Working a map and navigating all while driving when alone was neither easy nor safe. Thanks to modern satellite navigation that's a thing of the past.

While built-in satnav is still often an optional extra, most phones now have a maps app and GPS meaning you can not only use it as a map but can even have it verbally navigate for you. No stopping to ask directions and feeling like you've failed at driving then.

Automatic windows

Another technology that you don't see much anymore is window winders. They may have been relegated to back doors only in more recent models but they are still around today.

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Electric windows are now pretty standard in cars. Controls in the front that not only open at a touch but also let the driver control all other windows, as well as locking control from others, are really taken for granted. Not so long ago we were dealing with sliding glass panes in some cars.

Aerials

If you've owned a car that required you to pull the aerial out to listen to the radio you'll know how annoying that is when you're driving and have forgotten to do so. Then there was the evolution to the powered aerial that would extend itself. If your car did that, you'd made it, big time.

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Modern motors have tiny aerials, often in fin form, that work all the time and sit low enough to allow you in tight ceiling spaces without it scraping or needing putting down. It's another simple advancement that we take for granted now. Considering many of them now offer 3G connectivity for local Wi-Fi in the car it's impressive how far we've come in a very short time.

Unfortunatly, you can't just stick a wire coat hanger in its place, but then you're unlikely to have someone pull a fin aerial off the top of your car.

Fuel mileage

Once upon a time cars didn't have accurate fuel gauges and required a driver to guess how far was left in the tank. Spare fuel tanks in the back of a car were pretty commonplace - now they're even more hidden away at petrol station shops.

Current fuel gauges are so accurate you can not only see how full the tank is but you can even use a readout to tell you how many miles you have left. How much you trust that, or how near to zero you want to get, is still a gamble – but at least it's a far more accurate one. You're still victim to sensor fear though. Head down a steep hill and the car may tell you it has 5 miles left; get back on the flat and it might report 30 miles - at least you don't have to contend with mechanical dials sticking and giving you a false reading.

Check out the gallery below of some of the top cars we saw on our trip to the Goodwood Revival which runs 12-14 September.