Oxford’s Austin Mini Metro adds a bit of variety to the mix with this latest BSM livery, a familiar sight on the 1980s roads. How many of we experienced drivers have had to exercise patience when behind one of these in its day?
Learner drivers of the 1980s would have found the Austin Mini Metro a very easy car to test their ability. It came as a 3-door hatchback - the subject of our Oxford tooling – or a 5 door model. The engine size was either a 1.0L or 1.3L with a 4-speed manual gearbox. The Mini Metro had front wheel drive and a top speed of 84 mph and if you were practising three point turns, reversing round corners or parking, it was very compact and easy to park, so was a particular favourite. The livery is pure nostalgia!
The bright red body colour has a wide blue and white flash along the sides incorporating an outline of the map of Great Britain with white BSM lettering beneath. The red roof features the BSM L Driver beacon while along the line of the boot is their famous slogan Every SEVEN minutes someone passes with BSM. The interior of the car is moulded in black and it is registered KWC 332Y from 1982. The British School of Motoring still exists today although now under the auspices of the Automobile Association, offering driving lessons and instructor training amongst other things.