Corgi VA09408 Vauxhall Astra – BSM

Britain’s first practical driving test was introduced in 1935 and BSM student Mr Beene was the first person to pass. By then, BSM were an established company having been founded in 1910 by the Peckham based garage mechanic Stanley Roberts. They are now the largest driving school in the UK and use approximately four thousand Vauxhall cars to give one hundred and seventy thousand new drivers over five million driving lessons every year. BSM’s Astras are either the 78bhp 1.7CDTi diesel, which makes up for its lack of power with plenty of low speed torque, the 103bhp 1.6 manual or the 123bhp 1.8 automatic; together they make up fifteen percent of the company’s total fleet. The Astra range was first used by BSM in June 2003 as an alternative option for taller learners or instructors and has since proved to be very popular.