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By Laura Plane, Digital Marketing at Lancaster Insurance Services.

In recent weeks I’ve spotted an Audi A1, BMW 123d and a new Mini Cooper as driving instructor vehicles in my local town. Feeling rather cheated as I passed my driving test in a battered Vauxhall Corsa just eight years ago, I shared my bewilderment with work colleagues who were only too happy to reminisce about the cars they learnt to drive in.

Jim Dowson, Head of Internal Communications:
“I learned to drive in a Peugeot 205 with my instructor and also in my mum’s Bronze/Gold Coloured Ford Escort Estate (nicknamed the ‘Dagenham Dustbin’) and finally passed my test third time round in 1992 due to the fact that the second time I had the same examiner as the first time (when I failed) and it put me off! The only learning to drive story I can repeat (!) was when practising with my mum in the ‘Dagenham Dustbin’, we got to a roundabout and she said ‘turn right at this roundabout’ so when I started to enter it I literally started to turn right – namely the wrong way round the roundabout! Thankfully it wasn’t very busy and she grabbed the wheel (and shrieked rather loudly) just in time! When I passed I opted for another Peugeot 205 but the ‘hairdresser’ Rallye version (loved it!) and the rest (thankfully!) is history…”

Steve Salt,  Head of Business Partnering
“I learned to drive in a bright red MkII Ford Fiesta Popular Plus, nicknamed ‘Poppy’ (by the instructor, I might add!). Reg number D705 LKL. I remember it so well as it took me a good 30 lessons including 1 failed test to pass! One resounding memory is that the second gear ‘packed up’ for the 2nd half of my driving test, so I had to go from 1st to 3rd gear for the last bit… and I passed!”

Hugo Schorer-Nixon, Account Executive
“I learnt to drive in a Peugeot 205 Junior and my driving instructor used to pick me up from college. There was a game that we played at college (a bit cruel, looking back on it) where those who had passed their driving test used to follow their friends around while they were on their test, trying to put them off!”

Jamie McTavish, Car Club Manager
“I can remember turning up to the test centre in Wimbledon in my Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite on a damp, cold and windy morning, with the roof down to take my test. The examiner must have been impressed as he didn’t ask me to reverse around a corner, hill start or emergency stop even when I said I would be happy to do so… and I passed!”