Show us some odd ignitions from the past

I never had one, but how 'bout a Tung Sol THRYATRON (that's a vacuum tube) triggered CD ignition?

A thyratron is a special vacuum tube which is similar in nature in the vacuum tube world, as the SCR (silicon controlled rectifier) is in the solid state world. This was used "early on" for some of the first experiments in CD ignition

http://www.worldphaco.com/uploads/THE_TUNG_SOL_EI-4_CDI_UNIT_FROM_MOTION_Inc..pdf