I passed my car test in a TRIUMPH Herald like wot u c below. They were very popular with driving schools because the had a 22’ turning circle. (6.7m) in new money. The car below was not even built when I passed my test. Note the stylish fins, wow. As for bike tests your examiner was on foot having instructed you to circumnavigate a block a number of times whereupon he would observe your road positioning, giving hand signals and general awareness of other road users. The test would be brought to a finish with the examiner stepping out into the road holding up his clipboard thereby indicating for you to execute an emergency stop. When one of my mates took his test he turned into the road where he knew the examiner would be and in the distance there appeared to be a number of pedestrians on the carriageway. Evidently the examiner had stepped out in front of the wrong bike. You can just imagine a Python sketch with Cleese, clipboard raised, on his back on the road being ridden over by Idle, with Cleese muttering “you’ve failed”.
Neither of these are the actual vehicles but are identical to the real McCoys. The 1960 Chevy I took the driver's license test in was stolen while I was at a movie theater with a girl, but mine was in as good condition as this one. I was furious and wished every evil imaginable on the cretin who took it. It was my 17th birthday present from my parents in 1969. My friends called it the Red Menace. It was never recovered. The Honda is what I took my M.C. test on.
Learned to drive in ’71 Ford Econoline Van (three on the tree) and a motorcycle with a Honda CL100. Turned 16 and took the written test for both, failed the vehicle, but passed motorcycle. Dad gave me his bike (Honda CB 550 Four) that I drove for the next 3 years before going back to take the vehicle test, at which point I drove the van for a couple years until I got a car. Would still like to have all three, but such is life… Neither of these are/were mine...found on the net
Passed my car test in 1983 in a 1979 Austin mini similar to this one. My test was the first one on Monday morning and on Sunday night I was woken by my instructor who told me her car had broken down but she had another instructor friend who had a mini and I would be taking the test in that. On my pre test lesson I found that the wipers and indicator stalks were on the opposite sides so every indication i made i had to think first and I prayed it didn't rain. I did pass.
One of these and one of these then one of these - a cream coloured one and then, one of these a rubbish green one - in the pouring rain, in the days when the tester used to jump out on you from behind a car.
Mk1 Ford Escort 1100. Not mine in the picture but looks the same. I took 10 lessons and then passed first time in 1975.
I also passed in a Viva just like that one in 1978, courtesy of a 2 week driving course with the company I worked for followed by the test. Then "progressed" to driving one of these.... .......I still have nightmares. This is/was my first car, 1975 Capri 3000 GT. I really wanted a Mk1 GXL but good ones were quite scarce even back then.... I sold it in 1980 for the XJ12.
