DRIVER training firm BSM has signed a £200 million order with Vauxhall for 22,000 vehicles for its force of driver trainers.

The deal, finalised at the British International Motor Show in Birmingham last week, comes nine years after the first deal between the two companies.

BSM has more than 2,600 instructors operating from 107 high street centres across the UK and trains about 170,000 learners a year in Vauxhall Corsas. The new supply contract widens the choice of vehicles available as it includes for the first time the Astra and the new mini-MPV Meriva, due to be launched next summer, alongside the Corsa.

BSM managing director Paul Atkinson said: 'We first became involved with Vauxhall in 1993 at the time of the launch of the Vauxhall Corsa, when we had some 2,000 instructors.

Nine years on, with 2,650 instructors, we are still with the Corsa. We firmly believe that with the exciting extensions to the range that we have seen, this car still has a huge amount of life and appeal in it.

'With the Astra coming onboard – and with the new Astra to be launched in the summer of 2004 – as well as the Meriva, we are offering learner drivers and our instructors a greater and wider choice of new models than ever before.'