# Brits: Lots of Left-Hand Drive cars in the UK? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690 "2015-03-10T14:08:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/21 "2015-03-10T22:10:28Z")
Most European cars are designed to be either/or. The basic structure is the same - bodyshell, engine, electronics and everything behind the driver - but as it goes down the production line the relevant parts - facia, seats, etc - are fitted to make it RH or LH drive. I once had a van which was basically a LHD Peugeot but had been built as RHD. The problem was that the cable from the accelerator pedal crossed the floor to the left under the carpet. As it was pretty old and worn, a passenger in work boots could easily move the cable, causing the van to mysteriously speed up. As far as the stalks on the steering column are concerned, there is an agreed layout right across the EU and this has to apply to all new imports as well. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/22 "2015-03-10T22:53:25Z")
Is moving the controls to the left the reason why old British sports cars (MG, Triumph, etc.) have hydraulic clutches in the U.S.? How about old Japanese rwd cars? I had a Celica that was that way. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/23 "2015-03-11T01:37:46Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Most European cars are designed to be either/or. The basic structure is the same - bodyshell, engine, electronics and everything behind the driver - but as it goes down the production line the relevant parts - facia, seats, etc - are fitted to make it RH or LH drive. > > … > > As far as the stalks on the steering column are concerned, there is an agreed layout right across the EU and this has to apply to all new imports as well. This last is interesting. As far as I know (which may not be far), in New Zealand models which are European origin, Mondeos, Focuses, Vectras and of course the Peugeots, Citroens and VAG cars have indicator/lighting controls on the left stalk and wipers on the right, but Japanese origin cars have wiper on the left and indicators/lighting on the right. When hiring a car in the US it’s relatively easy to get used to gear shift on the other side but it can take a bit getting used to using the opposite stalk for indicating. I wiped the window quite a few times before adjusting my habits when I was in California last year for a couple of weeks. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/24 "2015-03-11T10:42:31Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Thanks all for the answers so far … > > This is curiouser & curiouser. > > One of the points made in the wiki article was that for a floor-shifting manual transmission you’d ideally want the turn signal stalk on the outboard side so one hand can signal while the other shifts. That would be turn signal stalk on the left for LHD and right for RHD. And the article laments that that just isn’t so in modern Britain. > > So it sounds to me like if we went back to a, say, mid 1950s purebred British car by a purebred British company, say a Morris, MG, Triumph, etc., we’d find the turn signal stalk on the right. Conversely if we encounter a modern car made for the British market, the turn signals will probably be on the left. And modern Brit drivers have gone through / are going through a muddled slow-motion transition from one to the other. > > But I assume (help me out here) that we’d find the clutch pedal on the left and throttle pedal on the right even in a 1950s Britmobile. > > And what of the shift pattern in the Olden Dayes? Would we find the low gears on the right & high to the left (mirror image vs. a LHD car), or would we find low on the left and high on the right? I know a couple guys with British cars from the 60’s (a Triumph Stag and a Jensen Interceptor) I’ll ask them about stalk and shift layouts when I see them next. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/25 "2015-03-11T10:44:20Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Is moving the controls to the left the reason why old British sports cars (MG, Triumph, etc.) have hydraulic clutches in the U.S.? How about old Japanese rwd cars? I had a Celica that was that way. No - hydraulic or cable was an engineering decision. Some early cables were prone to failure, especially if there was a tight bend. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/26 "2015-03-11T13:34:21Z")
Many American cars used levers before the FWD days. I can see how hydraulics would be easier in tiny cars. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/27 "2015-03-11T14:18:14Z")
No survey data, but I have been driving for fifty years LHD and RHD cars, in LHD and RHD countries, some made in LHD countries and some in RHD countries. Over the years my experience has been there is little pattern and you need to learn which side stalk does what for every car. Same goes for which side the fuel filler is. There are some generalities, but many exceptions. Gear pattern and pedals are always the same. Our current cars are a Mercedes with only one stalk for indicators and wipers nearest the gear change and a Kia with indicator and lights to the outboard and wipers and washers inboard. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/28 "2015-03-11T14:46:07Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Do you often get problems with the Czech Engine light coming on? Well done ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/29 "2015-03-11T15:25:46Z")
The Renault Dauphine, built in France, a left-hand-drive country, has the turn-signal lever on the right. The headlights switch on the left is also the horns. Plural because it has two — a country horn and a city horn. Or a pair of hooters. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/30 "2015-03-11T18:57:40Z")
Something I learned from the British auto show _Wheeler Dealers_ is that if you have a LHD car in the UK you also have to get the headlights’ aim readjusted due to it being on the other side of the road. And a quick & dirty method is to mask off the top of the light bezel to reduce the glare. Also the British refer to low beams as ‘dipped’ beams and high beams as ‘main’ beams. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/31 "2015-03-11T19:35:24Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > high beams as ‘main’ beams. “full” beam is also very common. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/32 "2015-03-11T20:42:31Z")
The only real safety problem with driving LHD vehicles on RHD roads is visibility. Hard to see around the car in front to overtake, for example. > [@Bert\_Nobbins](#): > > Yes, utterly so. LHD cars in Britain are very rare, because there is always an RHD version to buy. There isn’t always an RHD version. The RHD market is relatively small, and there are lots of cars that are never built in RHD (particularly American ones.) The current-generation Viper and Corvette, for example. The current-generation Mustang is the first in decades to be built in RHD. Rare, yes, but not “very”. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/33 "2015-03-12T23:45:59Z")
The ones you would most commonly (not very common) see would be ‘classic’ US cars from the 1950s, or WW2 military ones (jeep etc.) ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/34 "2015-03-13T00:05:10Z")
I read that when Sweden switched from driving on the left left to the right on September 3, 1967, a lot of young men discovered that they liked driving their RHD cars because it put them next to the pavement (sidewalk) where the pretty girls were (all Swedish girls are, by definition, pretty). > **[Throwback Thursday: Hilarity Ensues as Sweden Starts Driving on the Right...](https://www.wired.com/2014/02/throwback-thursday-sweden/)** > > Almost 50 years ago, Sweden braced for H-Day, the potentially catastrophic moment when everyone in the country started driving on the opposite side of the road. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/35 "2015-03-13T00:43:48Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Something I learned from the British auto show _Wheeler Dealers_ is that if you have a LHD car in the UK you also have to get the headlights’ aim readjusted due to it being on the other side of the road. And a quick & dirty method is to mask off the top of the light bezel to reduce the glare. > > Also the British refer to low beams as ‘dipped’ beams and high beams as ‘main’ beams. When I was stationed with the US Air Force in England around 1990 there were a lot of LHD cars that us Yanks would bring over. The BX sold a sticker kit that would reduce the glare of headlights. You didn’t need to block off all that much of the bulb. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/36 "2015-03-13T02:29:52Z")
> [@JerrySTL](#): > > When I was stationed with the US Air Force in England around 1990 there were a lot of LHD cars that us Yanks would bring over. The BX sold a sticker kit that would reduce the glare of headlights. You didn’t need to block off all that much of the bulb. Although one thing with that is the European ECE headlight aiming pattern (which is also used in most of the rest of the world) is much more strongly directional than the DOT pattern used in the US. Bringing in a car from the US isn’t a huge deal because the low beams pretty much just point down, whereas in a car from continental Europe they point down and up to the right and so would be blinding other drivers in a RHD country. See here: [http://www.retrofitlab.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/DOT-ECE-cutoff.jpg](http://www.retrofitlab.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/DOT-ECE-cutoff.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/37 "2015-03-13T02:49:34Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > The Renault Dauphine, built in France, a left-hand-drive country, has the turn-signal lever on the right. > > The headlights switch on the left is also the horns. Plural because it has two — a country horn and a city horn. > > Or a pair of hooters. The headlight switch where most of us would expect is a French thing. Peugot 604s had the same arrangement. Move it like you are making a right turn gave parking lights. Push away from the steering wheel is full beam, then pull it down like a left turn was the dipped beams. Oh and if you want a pair of hooters the was a company in Britain that made horns. It was called Clear Hooter. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690/38 "2015-03-13T11:50:50Z")
A masking kit is sold so that people proceeding on vacation to countries which drive on the other side can mask the lamps temporarily. Most auto stores sell them, and the car ferry usually sells them in their shop on board. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-lots-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/714690.md?page=1)