LEARNING to drive, buying a house and starting a family are among the life goals more than half of Brits think should be achieved by the time they turn 40, according to researchby Vauxhall.

To mark 40 years since the first Corsa (originally badged Nova in the UK) was unveiled, Vauxhall consulted 2,000 UK adults to understand the lifetime achievements the public think should be achieved by the time they turn 40.

Showcasing how important cars are for people, 60 per cent said they'd want to have their driving licence by the time they're 40, placing it above buying a house (56 per cent) and starting a family (52 per cent). It was even ranked ahead of getting married (46 per cent).

The research also highlighted generational differences. Getting your dream job by the age of 40 was selected by 43 per cent of 18-39 year olds, compared to just 27 per cent of those aged 40 and over.

Similarly, while 44 per cent of under 40s said completing a degree or apprenticeship is an important objective to achieve by 40, only 35 per cent of over 40s agreed.

Of all adults surveyed, 41 per cent agreed it's more important to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as sky diving by the age of 40 than to accomplish life achievements like career progression.

Among under 40s, this figure rises to 53 per cent, with taking time out to go travelling (54 per cent) and running a marathon (37 per cent) among the key experiences they would like to have done by the time they reach 40.

With 57 per cent who took part in the survey having bought their first car by the age of 25, the survey also revealed changing considerations to car purchasing with age.

While over 40s are more likely to prioritise price, reliability and safety, under 40s are more likely to name in-car tech, design/styling and speed/sportiness as their top considerations when buying a car.

Some of the biggest differences were between those aged 18-24 and those aged 65 and over, with 63 per cent of over 65s prioritising reliability compared to just 31 per cent of 18-24 year olds.

Revealed in 1982, the Vauxhall Corsa - badged Nova in the UK until 1993 - has been a familiar sight on British roads for the past 40 years, with more than 2.8 million soldin the UK so far.

James Taylor, managing director, Vauxhall, said: "Our research shows how important cars are in our lives, with people placing learning to drive as a bigger achievement to have completed by the time they turn 40 than getting married.

"Over the past 40 years, the Vauxhall Corsa has become a staple in people's lives; from being the car they've learned to drive in, moved house with, or used to take newborns home from the hospital for the first time.

"The Corsa's popularity endures to this day, as the UK's number one supermini and one of the best-selling cars in the country overall so far this year. As Vauxhall looks to the next 40 years, we already offer the Corsa as an all-electric vehicle, the Corsa Electric, ensuring it will continue to remain part of the social fabric for the next generation of drivers."

Available as a fully electric car since 2020, the latest Corsa Electric provides up to 222 miles of range from its 50kWh battery, while a 0-80% charge takes just 30 minutes to complete from a 100kW rapid charger.

Vauxhall will become an electric-only brand by 2028 - seven years ahead of the Government's deadline to phase out internal combustion engines from UK roads.

To celebrate 40 years of supermini heritage, Vauxhall has launched a new Anniversary Edition version of the Corsa Electric.

Limited to 1,000 units, it features a special Record Red metallic paint finish inspired by the Carmine Red of the original Nova and features a modern interpretation of its classic tartan seat fabric.

Based on the GS Line version, the Anniversary Edition has additional features including heated seats and steering wheel, blind sport alert, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. The Anniversary Edition is priced from £31,000.