What car did you pass your test in?

[StanleyT]

Diesel, non turbo, Austin Maestro.

Failed 1st test for not going fast enough on DC, in hindsight, I probably couldn't have got "fast enough". I think it was 22 seconds 0 - 60.

Passed on 2nd test as DC was gridlocked with traffic!!!!

Spent many years driving Dads car wishing we'd still got the previous Morris Ital SLX (that was relatively nice)!

[Peanut130]

learned to drive in a 1977 Datsun 120y
the drivers school changed their car on the day of my test
passed 1st time in a 1980 Datsun 100 cherry

[denzilpc]

The works CJ7 Jeep with foot operated parking brake in 1971

[Hilts]

Old man's Rover 216SE. Horrible clutch but a good car to learn on.

[cts1975]

BSM Rover Metro

[Banjaxed88]

1996 Nissan Micra. It was awful, but surprisingly had plenty of room for my 6'7" frame. It was the same car I took lessons in. I had a lesson the day of princess diana's funeral, and living in Northamptonshire the countryside roads were deserted as people were heading to the Spencer estate. The roads were genuinely deserted. No police anywhere either. Once we got to a stretch of dual carriageway my instructor told me to keep it flooded. I couldn't believe my luck. The little micra showed just under 100mph on the speedo and would do no more. My legs were shaking as I'd only ever driven at 60 before.

[CooperD]

Austin Metro at the RAF Driving School in St Athan.

[Buster73]

Morris Marina

[Monkeylegend]

irc said:

Monkeylegend said:

1970 Datsun Sunny in Orange.

My mum had one of those. Rusty orange. I drove it after my test and wrote it off on black ice. Bounced off stone wall at 40mph and onto the roof. The road was so slippy the recovery truck couldn't tow it until after the gritters were out.

Passed my test in a Triumph Dolomite, 1979.

Quite a popular car in their day and a good car to learn to drive in.

Loved the Dolomite, Triumph always had some of the best interiors of that time IMO.

[yoshisdad]

A white 1986 Rover 213, in St Helens after failing my first test in Wigan.

[Ian Geary]

A 1993 white mk3 fiesta owned by my instructor. Did the job I guess, but pretty unmemorable otherwise.

[sim72]

Learnt in my dad's 1983 Sierra as well as a few driving lessons ... took the test in the driving instructor's Accord (F-reg, unpleasant beige-y metallic colour).

[anonymous-user]

Corsa

[iacabu]

Learnt in my mums 89 mini checkmate. Driving lessons and test taken in a Corsa 'C' cdti

[Frank7]

A 3 ton Austin, similar to this photo, but it was a closed in baker’s van, in 1957, when I was just 18.

[noell35]

Learnt to drive in my Dad's company 1.8 Cavalier. Don't think he liked driving as he'd let me drive from Barrow to Gosforth up the west coast of Cumbria every Sunday (to band camp!). He did teach me how to overtake slower moving traffic while still on L plates

Had a few lessons with an instructor to polish up the manoeuvres etc. It was definitely an Austin Meastro but I can't remember if it was gold or beige. On the test it took me three attempts to get it in to reverse thanks to the st gearbox (honest...it's a poor workman that blames his tools!)

[croyde]

Renault 6, with the push pull gear shift like on the 2CV.

Drove it for 2 years from age 18 to 20 on L Plates. Took my mates everywhere.

Had a lesson with a mates dad in his Escort MK2 but couldn't get on with the normal shifter. So took my Renault to the test place and passed.

The next day the courier firm that I rode a motorbike for, stuck me in my own Honda Acty van to do deliveries.

The joy that night of being stuck in London traffic listening to the swish swish of the window wipers and not getting wet, I can still feel today.

[Monkeylegend]

Frank7 said:

A 3 ton Austin, similar to this photo, but it was a closed in baker’s van, in 1957, when I was just 18.

My father "learnt" to drive in the Army in 1940 and spent time driving supply convoys during the war. Never took a proper driving test, he would have failed if he had.

Although he never owned a car after he was demobbed he still drove for his work and occasionally other times but would always pull away in second gear, refused to use first gear.

He was not "very sympathetic" mechanically, and was a nightmare for any gearbox or clutch he had control of.

[dxbtiger]

A white Clio Diesel.

[Frank7]

Monkeylegend said:

My father "learnt" to drive in the Army in 1940 and spent time driving supply convoys during the war. Never took a proper driving test, he would have failed if he had.

Although he never owned a car after he was demobbed he still drove for his work and occasionally other times but would always pull away in second gear, refused to use first gear.

He was not "very sympathetic" mechanically, and was a nightmare for any gearbox or clutch he had control of.

Most truck drivers rarely if ever used first gear, I drove everything from 3 ton vans, to 38 ton artics, and only ever engaged first if pulling away loaded on a slope or hill, second was more than adequate.
When driving the tractor unit only, (no trailer), with 4 forward gears, and a “splitter”, giving you 8 forward gears, you could pull away in 3rd or 4th if you wished.