What Car? Driving School

What Car? are the newest entries into the "National Driving School" sector, joining The AA, BSM and Red.

The new driving school has been set up by two ex-BSM employees and seeks to capitalize on the "What Car?" brand name. In the early stages there are no plans to offer instructor training, or to use trainee instructors. They claim that they will only use "five star quality instructors", although their requirements are only that their instructors achieve a modest Grade 4 (the lowest grade).

The bottom line for the instructor is "how much will the franchise cost?" and "will they provide me with enough pupils?". a complaint from instructors who have left the other three national driving schools is that they have not provided enough new pupils. It remains to be seen whether What Car driving school will be able to deliver.

VERDICT
There is little to suggest that What Car? driving school will offer the instructor anything new except some in-house training and CPD. Franchise costs are similar to Red Driving School.

What Car - further info

Prices

If you use your own car:

The ongoing price is £67.00 including vat and includes the “starter pack”

- What Car? Driving School headboard and magnetic or vinyl car livery pack – that’s personalised for you

- marketing support and materials-which are personalised. (There is no charge for pupils that are generated through this local marketing and those that you recruit yourself.)

- access Learner Training materials

The ongoing price is fixed until at least April 2011

Introductory Discount
Week 1 pay £20
Week 2 pay £40
Week 3 pay £60

If you want a What Car? car the costs of the Car + Brand franchise are as follows:

The ongoing price is £179.90 (petrol manual car) price is held until at least April 2011 (This includes VAT - and the starter pack materials as above).

Introductory Discount
Week 1 pay £30
Week 2 pay £60
Week 3 pay £90
Week 4 pay £120
Week 5 pay £150

Rising to the ongoing price £179.90 thereafter.

Pupil bookings from the national advertising cost £22.95 or £25.95 (incl. VAT.) depending on the value of the booking.