An L of a decision

BSM'S decision to axe the Corsa as its driving school car of choice across the country is bound to be a big blow for Vauxhall.

I bet almost every twenty-something in Britain has a tale to tell about how they've stalled the small star at a busy junction, or got the gears to scream in pain as they get the amount of bite wrong. Again. Either that, or they know someone who has.

Older readers might remember abusing the Nova, its square-rigged predecessor, or even the oh-so-Seventies Chevette, but the stories remain the same. You might not have liked passing your test in a tired-looking Vauxhall, but somehow it was British in a Generation Game sort of way.

Vauxhall aren't exactly enjoying themselves right now - who owns them again? - and losing such a high profile customer is going to help them. One dealer I spoke to earlier this year rightly pointed out that the current range is probably the best they've had, but it still can't escape the recession and General Motors' woes in the States.

I actually drove the current Corsa for an hour during one of BSM's trial lessons, and hated it. The bulbous bodywork matched to post box rear windows actually made it more difficult to drive, and it came with a handbrake warning bong more suited to a 1980s Cadillac. It wasn't that I was a bad driver - I just didn't like it.

The Corsa was coarse, crude, and definitely not cool, and I'm not surprised BSM has fallen for Fiat's 500 instead. It's a much nicer car, both in its cheeky retro looks and in the way it drives, and I can see teenagers lining up to buy them after passing their tests.

It just means Southport's Driving Test Centre is going to look a lot more like Turin city centre from now on.



UPDATE: A reader (yes, this blog actually has one!) has contacted me to point out that BSM's pupils have killed cars other than Vauxhalls, and in particular pointed out how Fiat are in fact following Austin-Rover's lead by landing a major BSM contract for a trendy, recently launched hatchback.

Unfortunately, the 1980s hatchback in question was the Metro.