On the meter

Owning a taxi doesn’t come without compromises, however, and performance certainly isn’t one of the reasons to buy one. The later Fordengined cabs were more lively than the earlier Nissan ones (albeit less reliable), but neither is quick. They’ll cruise quite happily at 70mph, though, so a motorway journey isn’t a chore if you don’t mind taking a while to get there.

The vast majority of cabs have automatic transmission. Manuals are available, but are often from provincial areas and haven’t been maintained to the strict standards required by London licensing.

Handling is entertaining, but not necessarily in a good way. LTI taxis are narrow, top heavy and prone to body roll, as they’re fairly softly sprung. But they were primarily designed for urban use, so you can hardly expect sports car levels of grip. In town, though, they’re hard to beat. The turning circle is incredible, visibility is superb all-round and they’re a doddle to drive in heavy traffic, though the constant click-clack of the rear door auto-locking can get on passengers’ nerves. Don’t worry if they get a bit tetchy, though, as there’s always that soundproof screen…

Otherwise, the only other downside is fuel consumption. You’ll get about 28mpg however you drive it, be it at a motorway cruise or crawling through city traffic. That’s not disastrous, though, and there’s a lot to like about the idea of a black cab as a family car – not least that fully functioning, MOT’D and roadworthy examples are now freely available for less than £1500.

Buy carefully though, as you’d rather ‘be lucky’ than find your bank account going south of the river.