Continuing with the driving school cars theme, this is a 1994 Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 GLS (ignore the SI badge on the back, as this refers to the type of engine, not the trim level). A very similar burgundy-coloured one was the other car I learned to drive in back in 2000-2001. My sister's driving instructor had two cars during the time we learned to drive with him, this one and a brand new Corsa later on (more of that in a future instalment).
In contrast to the Saxo that I also drove, the Corsa very substantial, and of a much higher quality. The dashboard was split, with the display set high up far above a unique fit radio (something very new at the time), and then the chunky heating and ventilation controls underneath. The power steering made light work of parking, and all round visibility was excellent.
Despite no standard driver's airbag (this was not the case until a facelift in 1996), the car was definitely safer than the Saxo. It was also faster, thanks to an amazing 82 bhp (as opposed to the 60 bhp from a 1.1 Saxo) from the 1.4 SI engine. (There was also a 60 bhp so called 'Hi-Torq' variant, but this was the more powerful one.) Amazingly, for such a relatively high-powered car, I don't recall it being fitted with a rev counter. The gearing was such that it accelerated fast, but reached 60 mph a bit too quickly, as it seemed to be far too noisy when cruising on the motorway at 70 mph in fifth gear (a trait shared with my housemate's 1.2 SXI Corsa from 2006).
The gearbox was, in truth, not very good (like many Vauxhall gearboxes of the era), but it seemed much better than the Saxo, and it was at least difficult to put it in the wrong gear. The handling probably was not as sharp as the Citroen, but it was hard to tell when one car lacked power steering, and one was so equipped. After around six years of use to teach people to drive, it was sold and another Corsa took its place. This was somewhat differently powered...
