I wrote a post yesterday about taking my soon-to-be 16-year-old-daughter out in my 550 to practice her driving and I thought back to when I first learned to drive ... in a 1972 Ford Pinto manual. :thumbsdown:

I thought it would be interesting to hear about all the cars we learned to drive in. So, what was yours?

 

Interesting topic! Learned in my dad's '65 Mustang, manual...

 

I learned to drive in a early 70's Triumph TR6--manual. My best friend was a few years older than me, so I learned to drive at an early age (don't tell my parents... ).

Why don't we also add what our first car was?

My first car was an early 70's Fiat 124 spider--great car!

 

1956 Chevy 3-spd column shift. In Maryland at that time, if you demonstrated on an automatic, they would restrict your license to "automatic only".

Joe

PS, my first car was a 1953 Merc (Not Mercedes), Monterey. Flat head, 4 bbl carb, dual exhaust, cammed and all of that stuff. Early hot rod, and would out run a stock 1957 Chevy.

 

1975 Chevette ... or as I called it ... the vet!

First car (which I still have) 1975 MGB roadster (golden anniversary edition)

 

Good idea .... first car = 1970 Chevy Impala. Great car, big power, huge space, totally reliable ... never put anything but gasoline in it.

 

I learned in a 1930 Hupmobile...no, I'm not that old -- it was the car that was old!

It had mechanical brakes (not hydraulic, certainly no ABS), about 45 horsepower, a three-speed unsyncronized transmission (no SMG ), leaf springs all around (no active roll), split rim wheels with inner tube tires (no runflats), one tiny vacuum-driven windshield wiper (stopped when you accelerated, no rain-sensor), no sealed beam headlamps (way, way dimmer than "sealed beams" and, of course, dimmer than HIDs and didn't swivel with the steering wheel), a 6-volt electical system, a crank start (backup to the electric starter), a top speed of about 45mph, etc.

Suffice it to say that I feel it made me a better beginning driver because no matter what I drove after that, it was simpler. This thing was all over the road!

I do agree with the theory that a new driver may not learn some of the fundamental elements of car control if they're not exposed to a more primitive car than the E60. I'm not saying people should go to extremes and drive a model T but there is something to be said about learning basic car control. Probably the best scenario for any new driver is to get exposed to both sides, a primitive car and an advanced car. Ideally, that exposure should come at a driving school or program that allows some on-track activities, etc.

One important thing though -- I think new drivers should learn about ABS and not be given the exposure to a car without it. Once someone gets used to "pumping the brakes" instead of nailing the brake pedal in a panic stop, it's sometimes hard to break the habit...

 

Learned on a 1936 Ford. Saw one still being used as a taxi in Cali, Colombia not too long ago. Amazing.

First car was a spanking new 1949 Ford. Cost was about $1700.

 

JDN, I got you beat by six years -- except something tells me that your first drive was newer when you drove it than mine was!

 

Ford Focus 1.6 Petrol (y2k model)

then a Peugeot 206 1.1 litre (good god it was slow)

My first (and the car i had before the current BM was http://wawawoum.imagesvw2.free.fr/images/a...000_polo_13.jpg but in red...)


fear the 1litre speed



p.s. all were manual or 'stick shift' bar the BM. I kinda miss manual. it allows more control but is a pain in the ass during rush hour traffic :/