Driving Vauxhalls

Off to Luton today to drive Vauxhalls old and new. The company is proud of being the oldest surviving car manufacturer in the UK, dating back to 1903. Originally in London's Vauxhall, hence the name, it moved to Luton in 1905. Tucked at the back of the headquarters building is the Vauxhall heritage centre, our base for the day.

There were new cars to drive, including a Meriva with a so-called "whisper' diesel and a new two-wheel-drive version of the Mokka. We also had an interesting selection of historic models to sample, including a VXR 220 , a 176 mph Lotus Carlton, and a Mark 1 Cavalier with bright red Dralon seats.

Not available for us to drive, but one of my favourites in the collection, was the War Horse car, a 191o C-Type 'Prince Henry', acclaimed as the world's first sports car. This view is the entrance area of the heritage centre, seen through the windscreen of a 1909 B-Type Semi-Racer. A day of historic petrolhead heaven.