While tech has revolutionised purchasing in many retail sectors, the car buying process remains entrenched in the past. Can all-digital dealership Rockar – which offers a convenience normally associated with shopping for clothes or food – bring the auto industry up to speed?

Where once buying a car meant travelling to a dealership and speaking directly with forecourt dwellers, this is changing. It is estimated that at least 2,800 dealerships could disappear in the US alone by 2020. So in 2014, how exactly are people going about purchasing a new set of wheels?

Vending machines are great for sudden hunger pangs – from crisps to ice cream, they’ve got those cravings covered. But for more sophisticated palates, Parisians seized with sudden rumbles can now buy steak or beef carpaccio from a 24/7 vending machine, right outside a butcher's shop.

The car market struggled in the wake of the recession, but it hit an all-time high in 2015, with 2.6 million vehicles sold. Personal contract plans (PCPs) have enabled a new motoring boom, though an investigation from the FCA has raised some serious ethical concerns.