Don’t tell the boss, but it was a pleasure to have a big story to write across a locked-down weekend, as I did with this week’s Dyson extravaganza.

I had been desperate to know more about the mysterious mega-EV from Malmesbury and then the opportunity popped up without warning, with the famous inventor flatteringly choosing only Autocar and The Sunday Times for his story.

I review those experiences with a mix of exhilaration and regret. It was fantastic to talk to such clever people and see the beautiful, believable machine they had built from first principles. But I’m deeply sorry that it won’t make production. The me-too world of cars needs original products, and the Dyson EV could have been one of the best.

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Tuesday

An amazing mix of good and bad news hits the wires. The newspapers are full of joy that Boris is letting car showrooms open. But by 7.15am, we have official confirmation that Andy Palmer is being replaced as Aston Martin boss, which I regard as bad news.

You can see why: someone had to carry the can for the shares plummeting from £19 to 30p, and it was never going to be the Kuwaiti and Italian shareholders whose timing of the infamous stock market flotation was the real cause. I hold Palmer in high regard for his mix of energy, cerebral management and common touch. Mercedes-AMG’s Tobias Moers, a clever appointment if there has to be one, will be going some if he matches that combination.

By mid-morning, McLaren has announced that it’s sending 1200 people down the road. 1200! We’re used to success stories from McLaren Automotive, so this will take some digesting.

Then, at lunchtime, we get confirmation that as a result of two UK companies joining forces, AMTE and Britishvolt, this country will get its own electric vehicle battery gigafactory, complete with £4 billion of investment and 4000 jobs. It’s not just a shot in the arm but a shot in just the right place on the correct arm.

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