Maybe such experiences are less familiar to the younger generation brought up with reliable easy starting vehicles. I wonder if milder winters have some bearing as well.
Back in the freezing mid winter day there was a well recognised dawn chorus of attempted car starts as over optimistic owners tried in vane to coax a knackered or near flat battery to drag a reluctant engine into life. Listening whilst still in bed you just knew with each attempt there was a downward spiral which would culminate in the machine gun noise as the battery threw in the towel.
On the odd occasions the car did start under such conditions it was a common observation for the owner to punish the obstinate car by screaming the ice cold engine
