The High Performance Course was started as an experiment in 1962 by two very forward thinking people, Tommy Wisdom and Denise McCann. Tommy Wisdom was well known in motor racing, rallying and motoring journalism. He competed with success in several Grand Prix as well as Le Mans. He also competed in the Monte Carlo Rally 23 times, which was no mean achievement in those days, let alone today. He won the Grand Turismo Class of the Mile Miglia three times. On top of all that he was involved with Capt George Eyston and John Cobb in successful world record breaking attempts and wrote books on road driving. Wisdom was clearly a man with a very broad base of knowledge and experience in motoring and was one of the rare breed who could clearly define between that which was suitable for the track and that the road. His was an enviable motoring biography by anyone's standards.

Denise McCann, the then Chairman and General Manager of the British School of Motoring, was also influential in helping to get the Institute of Advanced Motorists started. Widsom and McCann realised there were an increasing number of high performance vehicles being manufactured, but no courses for the general public to learn how to use them safely on the roads. The then Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Lord Chesham, said at the inauguration of HPC that, "High performance cars… are about the safest on the roads, as long as they are properly driven". It is about as true today as it was then.

The idea was to show people how they could handle powerful cars with complete safety on the roads. That also meant high performance thinking and behaviour. It was also that the ideal HPC member should be able to cover the miles at a higher average speed than the general motorist, yet be safe and unobtrusive.

In The Beginning

The first Course Manager was a man of excellent pedigree in road driving and was ideally suited to the job, John Miles, an ex-Hendon Advanced Wing Police Driving Instructor who, during his time at Hendon, also trained some of the remarkable Flying Squad drivers. A man with a great affinity with motor cars he was also well known as a competitor in a number of police and international car rallies in the sixties. John Miles was also famous for his BBC2 TV series "Master Driver" with its accompanying book. His book "Expert Driving the Police Way" is still probably one of the best around on the police system of driving and does much to allay accusations of inflexibility and pedantry which come from lesser informed sources. It was this almost unique background which helped set the ethos and renowned high standards of the High Performance Course which was a world first when it was launched

Originally the Course ran over four 'stages' and seventeen hours of coaching by co-drivers, rather than instructors. This reflected a basic precept that the course was more of a mobile discussion forum. Stage 1 was an introductory and/or assessment drive. But if you already had your IAM ticket then that was accepted as basic entry level for the Course. Work was done on the track at Brands Hatch, using it as a two way road so that high performance road techniques could be developed, explored and practised in full safety away from normal road conditions. It meant a fuller understanding of what was safe and unsafe, sound and unsound when out on the roads. A major part of this included the correct setting-up and lines through corners. On this stage standard and advanced work on skid-control was also done on the special BSM skid road at Brands.

Stage Two generally involved country and B roads and was a start in putting the basic principles together. Stage Three generally mainly involved A roads and towns whilst Stage Four was the final putting-on-the-polish day together with motorways.

If it was thought that a person had not only reached the required level for membership but would maintain their standard they were voted by committee to membership of The High Performance Club. Eminent persons in motor racing as Jim Clark, Graham Hill and John Surtees became members of HPC as did such motoring enthusiasts as Prince Michael of Kent. Because if its uniqueness people even came specially from overseas to take the Course.

Additional Levels

On top of the 'basic' standard came three further levels of achievement. The first of these was 'Honours' which could either be further advanced skid control instruction or a night-drive. Which ever was done first, the other became the basis of reaching the Silver level. Gold was a four hour drive which had to be completely above reproach being a combination of fast open roads and tight town conditions. The former requiring every safe opportunity being taken to overtake (remember there were no top speed limits in those days) and in the latter often a lower speed than average was prudent. Safety always being the keyword. In the HPC book there is no excuse for getting into accidents; no matter how or when.

Complementary Courses

The High Performance Course became a part of BSM Specialist Services and, under this banner, included the Chauffeur Course, the Continental Conversion and subsequently the Anti-Hijack Course; run at a time in the early 80's when the kidnapping of executives was a general concern. The lesser version of HPC was the GT Course which was also used to bring 'clients' up to the entry level for HPC itself.

The Fleet

The original fleet was a very expensive outlay for BSM reflecting Denise McCann's conviction on the importance of such a course for the general public. In 1966 it consisted of : Aston Martin DB5. Austin Healey 3000 MkIII, BMC Mini Cooper 1275S, FIAT 2300S, Ford Cortina GT, E-type Jaguar Lotus Elan, MGB, Porche 911, Renault Gordini R8, Sunbeam 260 Tiger, Triumph TR4A. At other times such exotica as a Ferrari Dino were on the list.

Special equipment on all vehicles included Britax Safety Belts (not compulsory then); Bradex Fire Extinguisher; Smiths calibrated tyre pressure gauge; Triplex laminated windscreen. Each vehicle carried the very distinctive and large BSM High Performance Course roundel on its front doors.