What did you pass your test in?

[Spottedlaurel]

A 1981 Cherry N10, in 1988. It was my mum's but I bought it off her that day as she'd just got a Mini Mayfair (Daily Mail prize my Aunt won). A lot of my lessons were in a 205 diesel (and once a RWD Starlet) but I was driving the Cherry so much with mum accompanying that it made sense to use that, cheaper too.

[pompei]

Me dad's Fiat 124. Great car.

[retrogeezer]

A C reg Mazda 323 - back in 1986.

So that's why you wanted to buy mine then?

Did I tell you that the guy that bought it from you turned up at my house (in Farnborough) to collect some wheels for his mate??

[Mr Livered]

F-reg Toyota Corolla estate, 4 wheel drive. Bloody fantastic car and now super-rare, one of those "why the hell did I sell it" motors.

[Vin]

An E Reg Renault 5 GTL. In beige. This was my Instructors car. He was having a midlife crisis at the time - nuggets such as "I'm only really with my wife because of the kids" and "It's coming to something when all the lasses I fancy are the same age as my eldest daughter" etc.etc. As you can expect lessons were certainly an experience. He also had an annoying habit of reaching over and bibbin the horn at young ladiez. So they looked at me and I felt TWATAlso practiced all my clutch control and three point turns, in the battered Renault 20 on the drive when I was sixteen.

[seth]

17th (I think) March 1992. Can't remember what car unfortunately but would have been a Micra or Sunny or some similar L plate fodder of the era. Then I got to drive my mum's 1.3 Mk 3 Escort....

[reallyloud]

My instructors 1987 red Micra 1.3GS, he said it would be better to use his car, as he deemed my vw beetle unsuitable. He was quite right too. The Micra was a sinch to drive.

[Karmann Ghiaman]

It was a tiny BSM Corsa, third time lucky. Second attempt was annoying as Mr Examiner said it had been 'a perfect drive' except for going straight across a deserted roundabout while remaining in the LH (LEFT TURN ONLY) lane. It seems that his parents weren't married after all.A nice story from my instructor in SE London Bandit Country. He had taught a bright lad who was bound to pass the next day... except that he was arrested while driving a getaway vehicle in a botched armed robbery the night before! These things happen.

[Marty]

A 1985 Toyota corolla.(1989)

Very nearly SNAP!

1985 Corolla (green) in 1988

[Mr Lobster]

Instructors D plate Metro City. In beige too.Hated them ever since.

[r.welfare]

A C reg Mazda 323 - back in 1986.

So that's why you wanted to buy mine then?

Did I tell you that the guy that bought it from you turned up at my house (in Farnborough) to collect some wheels for his mate??

Yes - interestingly I've swiped that 405 wagon I just bought from under his nose. Although, then again, he makes 'serious enquiries' on about 70% of the cars for sale on Retro Rides

[Guest greenvanman]

Failed my first test in a BSM Metro - I never liked them before or since.Passed second time in my own 1974 R5L

[pogweasel]

A C reg Mazda 323 - back in 1986.

So that's why you wanted to buy mine then?

Did I tell you that the guy that bought it from you turned up at my house (in Farnborough) to collect some wheels for his mate??

Yes - interestingly I've swiped that 405 wagon I just bought from under his nose. Although, then again, he makes 'serious enquiries' on about 70% of the cars for sale on Retro Rides

"Serious enquiries" MY ARSE. "OH I really really want your Volvo!!!!"Come and wave some money under my nose then? No? Idiot.

[marinast]

Mine was a G reg Micra.....

 

 

Actually faster, easier to drive and overall better than a 51 reg one I drove three years ago, despite both displacing 1 litre.

The other plus side was the older Micra does not make its passengers resemble a bunch of OAPs.

 

I'd cruch every one without mercy.

 

 

 

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[Cheggers]

Ahhh, happy days.I passed in 1983 in my instructors bright yellow Toyota Starlet (pretty much new at the time). Another of those cars that you just don't see any more...

[KruJoe]

I started my official lessons in an early Clio 1.2, practiced and passed in my own H prefix Mini Thou. The biggest challenge was the sight test - only after that did I start wearing my glasses to drive!I was lucky my Mini didn't have the old centre speedo - the tester couldn't see that I was over the 30 limit as I came to a roundabout, and he never mentioned it! Phew! L-plates in the bin: best day of my life!

[Torsten2001]

Well I took 4 lessons in the new Austin Mini Metro and loved it but passed my test in my Mums 1977 Ford Fiesta L 950cc, YAH180S where are you now?I took my bike test twice, 1st when it was just 1 simple test, 2nd when it became 2 part, failed on a 1966 AJS 14CSR 250cc, KYO646D which I still have and passed on a Suzuki B120 that was passed down from my Dad, PLO904R, I'd love that back!

[Marty]

I took my bike test twice,

Ahh, so you are a masochist then! Went to take my test, took so bloody long to get a test date (because of some upcoming legislation about CBT's) I ended up having to do a bloody CBT test because they changed the law Passed though, even when I went zooming into a 50 zone still doing nearly 70 Probably because I talked bollocks about bikes and old cars to the examiner, he was probably just grateful to get shut of me....First car: VTC 263H - Austin 1300Fist Bike: RRN 323T - Honda C50

[Clevtrev]

It was a 1985 C reg BMW 316 in 1989. I thought it was very cool having an instructor who used a BMW. Of course after the pass was in the bag I was demoted to using my Mum's 1984 Rover 213SE automatic. Nice! Had to wait 18 months before I could afford my own car - a Y-reg mk1 Fiesta XR2.

[Torsten2001]

Ahhhh, first car, Wolseley 16/60 APK24B, First bike Raleigh Wisp UYY734F

[babydriver]

I passed in a 1981 (x) Toyota Starlet, my instructor was ex military man who used to twonk me one whenever I went wrong, for some reason he always had a cuppa from the local Mc Junkets when it was my lesson and warned me if he spilt it I was dead meat.I passed after 10 lessons in 3 months which I am quite proud of as I was thick as the proverbial at school. 1st car I owned was a 1969 Hillman Minx (hunter shape) YGP 793G

[MrRegieRitmo]

I passed in a 1981 (x) Toyota Starlet, my instructor was ex military man who used to twonk me one whenever I went wrong, for some reason he always had a cuppa from the local Mc Junkets when it was my lesson and warned me if he spilt it I was dead meat.

This is the kinda thing that makes me hate driving instructors so much & makes me see them as twisted sadistic bastards. Not all of them obviously, but the majority talk to you like you're something on the bottom of their shoe, make you feel about an inch tall & seem to want to take away all your remaining confidence when their job should be to build it up!

[AnthonyG]

Pug 205 diesel (J reg I think) In December 1992. Still have the little 'congratulations' printed card the instructor gave me!First instructor was a right tw@t, so I can agree with some of what Regie says above.

[pogweasel]

I had a handful of lessons taught by an instructor named DEREK. It was emblazoned on a large sign on the roof. DEREK. The man had a voice so dull it could sedate even the most animated of individuals. And when he spoke he also emitted the most vile 'teacher-breath' I have ever encountered. I'd swear that prior to the lesson he'd get prepped by eating dog turds washed down with ultra-strength coffee. All the other hallmarks of "driving instructor" there too.... beige slacks, slip-ons, mr-whippy/douglas-hurd haircut... incredible.

[mk2_craig]

I passed in one of these:

 

 

White L-reg blobby Micra 1.3 Super S, then about a year old. But no alloys. Utterly unremarkable.

[pompei]

I think I must've had your instructor, Pog, although it was up on Tyneside. He consumed Polos (sweets, not cars) at an alarming rate, and never offered one. He used to wave to people as we passed, and when I looked, he told me to mind my own business ... but he did have a Datsun 120Y (as was nearly every driving school vehicle at the time) which was so much lighter than my dad's 124.As an aside, did any instructors ever use Austin Cambridges? I used to have a Corgi model, with front wheels that steered from a lamp or something on the roof.

[docker]

Ford Laser then onto mum's Ford Falcon XD - think granada upsized with a 4.1 L - then my first car 72 VW type 3

[bigstraight6]

As an aside, did any instructors ever use Austin Cambridges? I used to have a Corgi model, with front wheels that steered from a lamp or something on the roof.

I remember having that model! and a Corgi VW Beetle driving school car again with a steering wheel sticking out of its roof....

[pandamonium]

There was also a Triumph Acclaim which you pushed the mirrors to steer.

[scrappylad]

I learnt to drive and sat my test in 1994, the instructors car was a 92/93 Peugeot 106 XT 3 door. It was pretty clapped out & would occasionally break down which was amazing, but a quick fix under the bonnet always got it going again! The clutch juddered too but he got that fixed the day before I sat the test.My car after that was my Dads '82 Accord for a year & then my own '85 Accord there after.