Seeing the AA in the condition it was found – ignition key still in the barrel tied with a piece of string, cracked side windows and ripped seat covers – added to its mystique and just enhanced my affection for the car. When you visit a museum you expect to see examples of absolute perfection – cars without a blemish or a mark that are lovingly cared for – but, for me, seeing an original AA complete with battle wounds and scars, knowing that when it was collected in Russia it still started and drove, just reinforces the dedication to quality that was at the forefront of Kiichiro Toyoda’s mind when he first started building the AA, and is still the heart of everything Toyota stands for today.