Spardo:
Gidders:
I suspect the starting handle at the front will not be missed by us old timers reminiscing.Depends how old time the old timers are. I think I might qualify, but the only time I had to swing one (several in fact) was on a rope with some other drivers outside some digs one morning on the Great North Road. Haven’t a clue where, but the fact that this was my only experience suggests that whatever I had at the time, had a self starter.
I reckon the ropes were being consigned to history in the late 50’s. And self starter equipped Guy Arab double deckers were addicted to the rope in Dewsbury bus station. “# 26 has a flat battery AGAIN, get the bloody rope” 
It was common to leave the engine running the whole shift, early morning until last bus at night.
And now we are in an era where cars are equipped with stop/ start systems