Driving Schools

I don't know if this has been posted before. Any one remember the old driving school at Whitley? - Link

Good find Adrian

Thank you. There are some more bits on Coventry at British Pathe, just type in Coventry in the search box.

Hello. I did my motorbike pre-exam at that location, roughly where the Zoo used to be. I can't remember much more about it than that.

What an amazing find! - and it cost £10,000 to set up - I wonder if that included the cars - which were also registered in Coventry!

Mormon Church stands on the site now

That's wonderful. My father learned to drive there in 1960. He decided, at the age of 47, to give up his bike and buy a car. I was about 7 at the time and went with him to watch a couple of times. He learned in a Standard 8 like one of the ones in the film. However, that put him off buying one and as soon as he passed his test he bought a brand new Ford Prefect from Rugby Autocar in Queen Victoria Road, about where the end of the City Arcade now is. Midland Red is correct, the site was at the junction of London Road and Riverside Close, now the Mormon church. Not sure when it closed, I would guess late 60s. I do still recall it whenever I drive past the site.

Didn't someone recently re-discover the "giant warrior" that used to stand over the entrance to Coventry Zoo?

I remember it well having learned to drive there in 1959. A lesson cost £1, and I applied for my test after 8 hard earned pounds had been spent. By the time my test came round I had spent a further £12, but my money was well spent as I passed my test 1st time. I only ever saw Standard 8 cars although there could have been others.

Odd choice for a learner's vehicle, four doors? There's a film clip of it being made here. Contrary to what is says on that page, the Standard Eight did not have a separate body and chassis.

Good film, assume that it the Kenilworth Road in the last part of the clip. My first car was a black Standard 8 in the early 1960s, what a heap it was. It had the most interesting electrical system, run it in the dark with the bonnet up it was like Blackpool Illuminations. The horn had a life of it own, would sound by itself, bad enough when you were driving but also did it when parked. The hand brake never held, unless it was left in gear you would find it had moved. Also leaked badly through the floor pan. The keys also fitted other Standards, I unlocked and started its twin one day which was parked next to me in Jubilee Crescent, very embarrassing. I eventually traded it in for a sky blue 105E Anglia, that's another story.

My driving instructor had one of those, that colour too. It had dual-controls - with a difference. It not only had dual pedals...... but dual steering wheels as well!!!

According to what my father used to say, the Standard 8 was actually a good car to learn in, since it was easy to drive. He reckoned they were difficult to stall, and the Whitley learners invariably took their tests in them. It was probably the case that Standard had a vested interest somewhere, as my father thought he was being encouraged to buy one. He reckoned he thought about the Standard Pennant version, but concluded the Ford Prefect was a far better bet, since it was better built. Incidentally, I do recall those driving school Anglias with dual steering wheels. They were a common sight in the early 60s, but I'm not sure which driving schools used them.

I had several second hand standard 8s and 10s when I was younger, and found them pretty easy cars to get along with. The engine was later used in the herald, and apart from suffering from rusty chasis' seemed pretty reliable.

Synchromesh on the top three gears, just avoid using first!