Alan Copp at work in his studio Picture: DAVID FERGUSON (01056157)

Alan Copp is a designer who worked at Vauxhall for 12 years and has produced 46 sets of stamps for Jersey Philatelic Bureau

When and where did you pass your test and how many times did you take it?
I passed my test first time in April 1954. My father established Three Mile Garage in 1946, and had it built. I wasn’t allowed to drive on the road but I moved cars around the garage from 1946 onwards.

He wouldn’t teach me to drive, but on my 17th birthday he sent me to Ted Le Lievre for lessons in a Wolseley 10. I would cycle into town and he would park outside Jules Boutin and Barclays in Library Place. I had lessons from the Monday to Thursday and took my test on the Friday.

Harold Michel was Motor Traffic Officer and George de la Haye was the examiner for my test. Afterwards he told me that my father must have taught me, as I was double-declutching, but it was just something I had learned to do naturally moving the cars around the garage.

Your first car?
An old banger of an Austin A30 I bought for £25

Your favourite car?
My favourite car was my Renault 25 or Renault 20, which were both very good cars in their time.

Worst car?
The Austin A30

Current car?
I have a 1997 Ford Fiesta. It only does about 800 miles a year.

Dream car?
I like the look of the new Citroen Metropolis. I saw it in a magazine article recently. Or the Bentley Continental GT. I like the idea of a car with a bit of comfort in which you can relax. If money was no object, it would be a 1936 540K Mercedes Benz open tourer – a truly beautiful car.

Your favourite drives?
I enjoyed long trips through France. Not just on the autoroutes, but also on the A, B and D roads when we weren’t in a hurry. There is a run from Poitiers to Limoges where the road is almost dead straight and you could put one finger on the bottom of the wheel and just drive. All along the route was typical French road scenery, with avenues of plain trees and pretty villages. I also love the Gorges du Tarn.

Motorsport interests and hero?
It would have to be Sir Stirling Moss. During my time at Vauxhall I had to pick him up from the train station and drive him to the factory where he was the judge of a big annual promotional competition where young people (under-18s) would send in their car designs. I have also driven round the Le Mans and Spa circuits, but the nearest I have been to a single-seat racer is karting.

Your driving dream?
Having a 540K Mercedes or Bentley Continental GT for a weekend.

Do you think you are a good driver?
I think I am a reasonable driver.

What do you always carry with you on long journeys?
Tapes. My car is too old to have a CD player. And I always have some boiled sweets, a bag of barley sugars.

Who would be your preferred passenger on a long journey?
My late wife, Jasmine. We would be driving through France for two or three weeks and the tape player wouldn’t be used. We were never lost for conversation.

What makes you angry when you are driving?
I think I have mellowed with age, but I do get annoyed with drivers who indicate at the very last moment, or not at all.

Have you ever been involved in a crash?
Two or three minor shunts which resulted in no more than a dent in the bumper.

What do you listen to when you are driving?
I probably have a dozen tapes, mainly of West End musicals, Mozart and Strauss.

How could Jersey’s roads be improved?
Take the bends out of Victoria Avenue that they have added during the resurfacing, and refresh the white lines along the Esplanade near the Grand Hotel to make them clearer.

Do you clean your car, and if so, how often?
Two thorough cleans and polishes a year, inside and out. It doesn’t go out often and is garaged, so it only dust gathers.