About Us
The post-war years
During the Second World War, BSM organised the training of thousands of service drivers. Many of the 'D' Day drivers were trained specifically for the task by BSM.
New faces at BSM
While hiring an interior decorating company to redecorate the BSM offices damaged in WW2, Stanley met Denise McCann. Stanley, who had suffered a severe stroke, was impressed with her abilities and appointed her as his special assistant. In 1956 Denise became a founder member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists. Denise became BSM Chairman and Managing Director in 1957 when Stanley died at the age of 68.
Denise McCann appointed many well-known personalities from the motoring world and the police to the BSM Management Board. These included Tommy Wisdom, a former motoring editor and author, rally and racing driver, who was her Chief Executive. Retired Scotland Yard Commander Norman Radford became the Director of Training, and H Cecil Orr CBE, who was a former Secretary of the Automobile Association, became a BSM Director.
Introducing tuition to schools
In 1959, BSM began its programme of tuition in schools and colleges, with on-road instruction given to sixth-form pupils at Queenswood and Felixstowe Colleges. Pre-driver training was later given to under-17s on private land in cooperation with schools, Local Education Authorities, the Ministry of Transport and the police. And, in 1969 BSM collaborated with Salford University's Road Safety Research Unit to investigate the effect of learning to drive at school.
New specialist courses
BSM diversified in the 1960s by introducing a range of specialist courses. These included the high performance and GT courses, commercial vehicle training, continental conversion at Brands Hatch, and training for disabled drivers. John Miles, appointed as Manager, also fronted the BBC's road safety series 'Master Driving' and was a regular contributor to BBC Radio's 'Motoring and the Motorist' series.
Modernising the company
In the 1960s, as today, BSM pupils came from all walks of life. They included VIPs, royalty and celebrities: Twiggy, Mary Quant and Shakira Caine to name just a few. BSM developed a culture of fascination with cars, which was evident from the motoring memorabilia adorning the company's HQ in Chelsea.
However, a changing world brought the need to modernise the company. In 1973 a financial consortium, Mansion House Finance, led by industrialists Sir Anthony Jacobs and David Haddon, bought the company for around 2m. They began a revolutionary transformation of BSM, introducing instructor franchising and standardising the tuition car fleet. In 1980 the Austin Metro was introduced as the first one-model fleet car. In 1990 BSM changed ownership again in a management buyout, followed by flotation on the Stock Market in 1993.
