The Cuckoo Cars Driving School (originally opened as Peugeot 207 Driving School) is a ride at Alton Towers for young children. It is styled as a mock driving institution where young children learn how to drive small cars. Riders are allowed to drive around a miniature course, where they are overseen by

marshals Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...

. The track is mainly built and themed around the area, Cloud Cuckoo Land. It is decorated with colourful statues and quirky scenery.

History

The attraction was opened in July 2006 as the Peugeot 207 Driving School, with riders driving around in vehicles modelled after the

Peugeot 207 The Peugeot 207 is a supermini car ( B) that was designed and produced by the French automaker Peugeot from 2006 to 2014. It was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2006, and entered production in April 2006, as the successor to the Peugeo ...

, however this was renamed simply to the Peugeot Driving School in 2010. Later, in 2012, the ride's sponsorship deal with

Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and the ...

came to an end, with the attraction being given a new name of simply the Alton Towers Driving School. At this time, all Peugeot branding was removed from the ride, however the cars remained modelled vaguely after the Peugeot 207. Finally, in 2017, after a one year renovation period from the 2016 season, the ride received a minor refurbishment and reopened as the Cuckoo Cars Driving School, with cars receiving an updated, patterned shell.

Reception

When opened in 2006, the Peugeot 207 Driving School was immensely popular with children. The appeal of allowing them to drive openly was a first at Alton Towers. A marketing ploy was that the children received a faux

driver's license A driver's license is a legal authorization, or the official document confirming such an authorization, for a specific individual to operate one or more types of motorized vehicles—such as motorcycles, cars, trucks, or buses—on a public ...

after completing their 5-minute turn.

References

{{Coord, 52.985273, -1.893261, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Alton Towers Amusement rides introduced in 2006 Driver's education