Who still uses a 'stick shift' in their modern vehicle ?

[DougVieyra]

For many of us, driving our Model A's is the only time we get to 'relive those thrilling days of yesteryear', by driving our 'stick shift' Model A.

Beyond that Model A 'stick shift' experience - how many of you drive a 'stick shift' in your modern cars ? Today's modern world of driving is all about creature comfort and ease of operation. There are getting to be fewer and fewer vehicles (of course their are some 'sports cars') that provide a 'stick shift / clutch' experience.

I was prompted to think about this question today as I drove my only 'modern' car, which does happen to be a stick shift - owned since new, my 1969 VW Beetle.

So, as regards 'stick shift' in modern cars, who drives what ?

[clo2jim]

Our 1990 Chevrolet Corsica LTZ has a 5 speed manual transmission (yes I still drive it on occasion)

Our 2012 Chevrolet Sonic also has a 5-speed manual transmission

Our two truck had automatics (1994 Chev 3/4 ton heavy duty long box Turbo Diesel tow vehicle) (2006 Chev Colorado extended cab)

I also learned to drive in a 1965 Chevrolet 4-door Biscayne manual - "Three-speed on the tree" then into Volkwagen Bug and Corvair Corsa - 4 speed manual 140 hp. Then there was the 3-speed manual on the floor in my 1974 AMC Hornet X Hatchback

[Mike V. Florida]

Just sold the 2002 mitsu lancer.

[Y-Blockhead]

'89 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe, Supercharged 3.8 V-6/5 speed.

[40 Deluxe]

2013 Ford Focus ST 6 speed stick 252 HP=fun!

[Allanw]

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My Wifes BMW is manual: 2001 525i - the reason i bought it so fast! Very, very, rare here in NZ.

My other car is a '72 "1200" Standard VW Beetle, though it's 1600TP powered now.

Our only other car, is a VW Touran, 2006. It's auto right now, but not for long. It's morphing: from 2.0 FSI Auto, to 3.2 VR6 (R32) and 6 speed, AWD :-)

It's VERY rare for me to buy an auto, and keep it that way. Even the very new ones: they perform OK, but they still NEVER know what I'm thinking, and don't often get what I want to do next. They also can't see the road ahead, and I find they often do the opposite of what needs doing - I live halfway up an extincy volcano, on the opposite side from town. It's all corners and hills!

[johnbuckley]

" ..how many of you drive a 'stick shift' in your modern cars ? ..." an awful lot of us ! 75% of all new cars in UK are manual ( aka stick shift) and I suspect about the same in all Europe

[C26Pinelake]

A very small minority for sure. Wayne

[Neil Mylar LakewoodCA]

About 3 years ago I left the construction field and started working full time for an independent bus company. At the time they still had one stick shift bus and they were very happy that I wanted to take my test in that double clutch bus. I drove that bus for 9 months until the rear end went out and it was finally retired. Its sad to me that the company no longer has any stick shift buses.
My son and daughter still drive stick shift cars. When my son was in college he was a part time valet driver. He was the only driver who could drive and park the stick shift cars.
Driving a stick shift is becoming a lost art in the USA.

[Tom Wesenberg]

My Omnis, Caravans, and Diesel Rabbits have all been 5 speed sticks.

[Mike V. Florida]

Carjacking Attempt Foiled By Stick Shift

and there are many others. Safest car is the not so standard, standard.

[cradlescyth]

Taught both my son and daughter to drive stick,

also taught my grandson. Grand daughter wantsto learn on The A

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by cradlescyth

Taught both my son and daughter to drive stick,

also taught my grandson. Grand daughter wantsto learn on The A

Ditto teaching my children to drive. Later, they both have said that what they learned in that car has saved them. His life in my son's case. I think drivers of manual cars are safer but have no data to prove it. Any body got something on this??

[jrd-28]

'90 Rx7
'05 Forester

[gweilbaker]

My MGTD, Sandrail(VW) and for everyday transportation during the summer the motorcycle. When I was looking for a new car I wanted a base model but in my area the dealers only stock higher trim cars, very sad. I ended up with a Sonic with an auto. At least I have the toys.

[Jon W]

2007 Corvette Z06.........six speed
2012 Ram 2500 with Cummins diesel.........6 speed
1950 Ford with 302 engine and Tremec Transmission..........5 speed
1928 Model A..........3 speed

Just sold my toy, a 2000 Freightliner, Cummins power with 9 speed.

Both my wife's cars are automatic as is my bus.

I don't answer or talk on my cell phone, or put on makeup while I am driving so I have my hand free for shifting.

[M&A Roadster]

Our only other car is a 2000 Jeep Wrangler 5 speed. My son learned to drive in the Jeep.

[2manycars]

I learned to drive on the farm, with a 1946 chevy 1-1/2 ton truck, then graduated to a 49 chevy sedan. When my father bought the town sedan in 1960, I could drive that just fine. Out of the 278 vehicles I have owned, many were manual transmission vehicles. When I worked in construction in the 70's I drove a
B61 Mack, with an 18 speed road ranger setup. My newest car is an automatic, for when I need to drive in the city, or get stuck in heavy traffic on the so called highway. The model A Fords are of course manual transmission and my MG's are manual.
An interesting bit of info is that in this country manual transmissions are often referred to as "standard shift" by older people. This term did not come from differencianting from automatic transmissions, but it came from an earlier time, when some manual transmissions on cars had a shifting pattern different from the familiar pattern of the model A, which is the "standard shift pattern". Some had second gear where third is on the model A, and high gear where second is.

[mhsprecher]

My Ford Focus, Mazda Miata and 2006 F-150 all have manual transmission. I taught both kids to drive stick and the both still do, although one lives in France, where everyone does.

[Bob Bidonde]

My daily driver, a 2011 Mustang GT 5.0 has a 6-speed manual transmission. It's great exercise for my left leg, and it keeps me focused on driving with both hands.

[Patrick L.]

Does the tractor, motorbike and Studebaker count ?

[tinman080]

We got our first automatic vehicle when I was in high school, a '66 Fairlane wagon. My '95 Jeep Wrangler was a 5 speed, sold after 200,000 trouble-free miles. My new '08 is an auto, 105,000 miles and I don't miss the stick at all.

[Terry, NJ]

My wife's 2013 Ford Focus is "Stick". It had languished on the lot at Fred Beans Ford for about 6 months and no one was buying. With some hard negotiating and doing a "walkout", we got at a considerably lower price. My wife picked it out, loves the car, and has no problems with it being a standard shift. I also own a 95 SAAB 9000 that is a 5 spd.
Terry

[Roadster Rich]

I travel to Europe about 5 to 6 times a year and always rent a standard transmission car. Brings back some of the joy of my early years driving. But that said, for my long trips around the US (1,000 plus miles in one drive) it sure is nice to have that Audi 6 speed automatic!

[2935ford]

My wife's 2010 Civic.....5 speed....she refuses to drive an automatic!

[pgerhardt]

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My son's Subaru Impreza WRX is the only other standard in our family. He insisted on getting a standard transmission even though he did not know how to drive it. I had to do the test drive, drive it home, and then teach him how to drive with a standard transmission. It was his successful strategy to make sure is sister could never drive his car!

[holdover]

Daily Drivers,2005 Miata Speed 6 speed, '82 jeep CJ7 3 speed, then there is the rest of the fleet that are stick shift, 3 Model As, 4 Mazda RX7s, '65 & 92 Mustang, 68 F250, 72 F100 etc etc........

[Ray in La Mesa]

Our modern cars are all stick--- '70 VW van is a 4 speed stick and my wife's '68 Plymouth Roadrunner is a 4 speed stick. The six Model A's are all stock stick, and my motorcycle too.

[Tom from Drippin']

My other cars....'03 Acura CL type S, 6speed....'83 Chev. C-10 PU "3 on the tree"............. '63 Falcon Ranchero "4 on the floor"

[jrelliott]

Only have the A with stick shift. Live in the mountains and have two automatics which I downshift going down the inclines which are 6% or greater here. Very few people know to down shift the auto when going down steep grades. On the Jeep Cheeroke which has a nine speed auto, shift down to 5th or 4th going down some of the grades which keeps the speed down.
Also taught both kids to drive a stick shift. When my daughter started driving my fully restored '64 Corvair Monza, made her show me how to change a tire, check the oil and recover from a sudden stop where the back end wanted to swing around.

[Bill Cilker]

My "modern" car is a 1972 Poesche 911 that I purchased in 1979. My work truck is an automatic, but I drive in a lot of heavy traffic.

[Chris H]

I don't know if they would be considered modern, but both my MGBs are 4sp stick shift. I tried to get a stick in my Toyota Tacoma...no dice. Almost un obtainable!

[Brendan]

2003 Ford ranger 5 speed

[180 a]

2011 Ford Fiesta 5 speed stick

[Will Ziegler in LI NY]

I do,

2001 BMW 330 5 speed
2011 BMW 335 6 speed

[redmodelt]

91 Dodge Dakota 5sp
48 Ford F2 3sp (might soon be my everyday truck)

[Dodge]

My Dad used to call anything newer than 1949 a Modern car. My every day driver is a Miata
Stick shift. My tow vehicle 1973 ford truck auto.

[katy]

I learned to drive on a Model T, then upgraded to a Model A, been driving standards ever since, now drive an '06 Dakota 6 speed. My wife has a modern w/a slushbox.
I'd buy a new 1/2 ton (Ford or GM) if I could get one w/a standard transmission.

[SeaSlugs]

i started on stick shift - my dad offered to pay for my first vehicle as long as it was a 4 cyl and stick shift. Family friends were selling a 95 s10 with just that combo. Ive only had one automatic: 1992 gmc jimmy and within a year or two of owning it the trans started slipping and wouldn't shift out of 1st - everyone wanted 1900-2700 for a rebuild...not gonna happen on a $900 vehicle lol. I find automatics very boring to drive and hate towing with them. When we brought the remainder of my AA truck home we borrowed the family friends cummins powered 6 speed ram, towed like a dream and made maneuvering a breeze. still managed 22mpg to boot (only was going 50-55mph - AA wasnt liking the fact it was moving again haha)

anyways the list:

1960 VW Ghia
1980 Chevy Chevette - 1.6L 4 speed
1995 Chevy s10 - 2.2L 5 speed
2002 Chevy Blazer - 4.3L 5 speed

Id love to have a 2008-2014 Challenger R/T 6 speed - test drove one and couldnt believe the scoot it had.(of course i drove the chevette there so increasing power ten fold makes it seem like your going to the moon)

I would also love to have a 2014-2015 silverado if they came with amanual trans - chevys reason for not even offering one? - claims the american market doesnt want a manual trans truck....only things still stick shift in US are sports cars and economy cars and they are far and few between.

[modeleh]

Modern automatic transmissions use a rediculous amount of electronic sensors, not like the good old days when all you needed was one vacuum line to the modulator.
Now the transmission needs input speed sensors, output speed sensors, talks to the throttle position sensor, knock sensor, speedometer drive, even the coolant temperature sensor and god knows what else like an electric lockup converter.
Sooner or later you will have problems with one or more of these sensors and your automatic will not be so automatic anymore.
I don't mind repairing mechanical parts that have worn out and done their job, but electronic sensor failures really get my goat. They can build a $20 solar calculator that lasts for 20 years but these expensive automotive sensors sometimes only last a couple of years if you're lucky.
My opinion is that we have the choice to eliminate about 50% of electronic related problems with modern cars just by choosing a transmission we shift ourself. I will do my best to stay away from another automatic in my future, besides the dual range transmission in my 62 Continental.

1996 Ram Cummins 5spd
2001 VW TDI 5spd
1991 VW TDI 5spd
1966 F250 4spd
1965 Falcon T5 manual
1964 Falcon 4spd

[v bogart]

2013 Ford Fusion special order 6 spd. my truck is my first auto, Ford don't make a manual truck till you get up to a 450. All my children drive stick. Cheep anti theft.

[Jeff/Illinois]

Bought a new Mustang GT a few years back of course you have to have a stick shift in a car like that or so I thought. When it came time a year or so ago to sell the car and get a new one, I was shocked at how tough that was to do, because the car had a stick shift.

Plenty of interest in the car especially in the 20-some year old crowd but not one single buyer could drive a stick and they were afraid to try to learn. Finally had to trade the car in at the local Ford dealership and at least they gave me a good deal for the car towards a new one. They had a Harley guy already lined up that wanted my car. He knew the car, stored in a heated garage, no winter driving, low mileage!

Next one I bought had an AT. Won't go standard tranny again learned my lesson.

[jeep44]

When my son was young, he rode with me for the first time in my newly-restored WW2 jeep. He watched me shifting at all the lights for a while, and finally said "Do you have to do that ALL the time?"
When he went to Iraq as a member of a special Marine team that worked in isolated areas with the Iraqi Army, the Marines made sure each team member was able to drive a "stick", in case they found themselves in an emergency situation where they had to make their way alone back to US forces.

[skinnyfjoe]

1952 chevrolet 3600 with three on the tree

[Greg Jones]

My 14 year old daughter wanted me to teach her how to drive the Model A. So off we went to a large, empty church parking lot. Taught her how to double clutch. I have a Ford Focus with a stick shift, and when she started driving it she double clutched. A natural born Model A driver!

[SeaSlugs]

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I think its the biggest shame people find it a chore to drive stick, but in the big picture people cant seem to drive period haha. I'm all for self driving cars because some of the drivers out there just need to go in a box that takes them places WITHOUT any controls they can touch.

I feel im way more in control with a manual trans than an automatic.

[Bigdave]

My wife and I both drive the 1942 Plymouth Coupe and 2004 Cadillac CTS-V.

[holdover]

My 7 yr old at the time Grand son helped me restore both my '29 coupe and my '82 Jeep CJ7. He asked when he would be able to drive the jeep, I told him when he turned 8. Last August was his 8th birthday and first thing he asked was can he drive the jeep. He has been driving motorized things for a couple of years and has his own lawnmower without a mower deck and a 100cc 4 wheeler, plus he can drive my 55hp New Holland well(where he learned to use a clutch). Put him in the jeep with the seat up and a pillow behind him, put it in 4WD low and in about 5 minutes he mastered the clutch and can start/stop even on slight hills, switched to high and no problems. Been almost a year now and he has his eyes on the Model As, especially the coupe he helped restore, which he says he is going to drive to high school......

[jmaotto]

My daily driver is a 2012 cruz 6 speed stick. Also have 1974 VW Beetle along with a 1948 Ford 8N tractor.

[Barry B./ Ma.]

I have a 2001 PT Cruiser Limited with a 5 speed, bought it new, car came loaded except it had manual shift and many people passed on it because they couldn't drive it.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by Greg Jones

My 14 year old daughter wanted me to teach her how to drive the Model A. So off we went to a large, empty church parking lot. Taught her how to double clutch. I have a Ford Focus with a stick shift, and when she started driving it she double clutched. A natural born Model A driver!

Funny how you get 'Conditioned'. Seems like every time I go to back my wife's Ford FLEX into the driveway my hand is waving around in the air, feeling for the shifter.

My wife just rolls her eyes...

[chuckstinn]

My modern is a 1985 Porsche 911 and some times 1967 Porsche 912

[Ted Duke]

My wife and I drove stick for years. All of my kids learned to drive in an 81 Subaru stick and some of my grandchildren get checked out in a NH tractor, four on the floor and four on the pedestal and shifter for F-R.

[Farrell In Vancouver]

My Harley has foot shift

[Juggler]

I am now 50 years old and the only automatic car I have ever owned was a 1969 Series 1 XJ6, which I ran for one summer just before I went to college. Cool car for a 19 year old but the bottom rusted out of it.

Google says 25% of new cars sold in the UK are automatic. I'm surprised it's that high. Automatic transmissions generally only fitted to high end luxury cars here, but perhaps the new raft of flappy paddle/clutchless/semi autos are skewing the figures.

Most everybody I know drives stick.

[colin1928]

I have only 1 auto and that is the wifes car the rest are stick shift
I work next to a caryard and they can not stick to any under 30 yrs
must be a change trend

[AL in NY]

I've never had an automatic as my personnel car, a VW in Germany, a 440 6-Pac Road Runner when I was younger(still have the RDRUNNER New York vanity plate), 2 S10 Blazer 4X4 with 5 speeds, and 87 Corvette with the 4+3 manual and my 1930 CCPU Model A. I only time I get to drive an automatic is when my wife lets me drive her car.

[G Baese]

Guess the closest to an automatic has been Steam cars, Single cylinder Cadillacs and Model T's! All the rest, modern drivers too, have been manual transmissions. Getting harder to find in late models, newest car is a '99.
Cheers,
gb

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by Y-Blockhead

Funny how you get 'Conditioned'. Seems like every time I go to back my wife's Ford FLEX into the driveway my hand is waving around in the air, feeling for the shifter.

My wife just rolls her eyes...

I get that same feeling. Our "modern" cars are both automatics, mine has the shifter on the steering column, my wife's car has it on the console. I'm forever trying to shift both cars by waving my hands in the wrong place. It just depends on which car I drove last. They are both essentially the same vehicle: Ford Explorer (mine) and Lincoln Aviator (hers).

The Model A is the only stick shift car I have currently. Most of the vehicles I have owned in the last 60 years have been stick shift, about a 90% of them.

[Pete]

We are "stick folks" here. Always have been except for purpose built vehicles.
If you are into 4 wheeling and have a winch or 2 winches, an automatic is a whole lot easier to "feel" a rough situation through
while pulling with the winch.
No clutch feathering.
For people with bad legs or feet, automatics are the only way.

[bikejunk]

2008 GMC pickup with a 5 speed and crank up windows and a non chip door key perfect for my George Washington bridge cross Bronx commute every day ---the wife's car is a 2014 ford fiesta roll up windows and a 5 speed had a hard time finding that one in the new York area

[Tom Wesenberg]

"..........Out of the 278 vehicles I have owned, many were manual transmission vehicles. ............"

Bill,
Are you kidding? That must be a world record.

[mshmodela]

I have only drove only manual transmission cars from the 16 to 47 years old... I hate my present auto transmisson in my 2012 liberty... I will likely get a 4 door 6 speed next...

[ian Simpson]

When I took my driving test in the UK, I had to take it in a standard as if I had used an automatic my license would have restricted me to automatics which were very rare in the UK back in those days.

I never owned an automatic until I bought a 1957 Chevrolet in 1967 after moving to North America (the current Bel Air has 3 on the tree) and have had at least one automatic N. American vehicle since 1988. But we have also had ten or more stick shift European cars over the years which my wife and I would fight over.

Forgot to add that I taught my wife to drive in a 1969 Lotus Europa, my son in a 1979 Volvo, my daughter in a 1984 Porsche all with 4 speed manual transmissions. They all prefer manual transmissions (my wife's summer daily driver is the MGB).

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by CarlG

I get that same feeling. Our "modern" cars are both automatics, mine has the shifter on the steering column, my wife's car has it on the console. I'm forever trying to shift both cars by waving my hands in the wrong place. It just depends on which car I drove last. They are both essentially the same vehicle: Ford Explorer (mine) and Lincoln Aviator (hers).

The Model A is the only stick shift car I have currently. Most of the vehicles I have owned in the last 60 years have been stick shift, about a 90% of them.

yea the rare occasion i have to drive my moms car (2014 escape - HATE that car, all i wanna do when im in it is escape...) im always thumping the floor for the imaginary clutch pedal, got ahold of the brake pedal once... she used to have a 97 Taurus and the center console drink holders were in the perfect spot for a shifter, unfortinately i got ahold of a 20 pop bottle that didnt have the lid screwed on all the way - they dont make great shifters....

or when i jump in the chevette with the 4 speed manual i sometimes search for that imaginary 5th gear.

[Capt Quahog]

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My most "modern" vehicle is a 1994 Toyota Hilux pickup truck with 22RE 4-cylinder engine and five speed stick shift tranny. Have had this vehicle for over 20-years.

[Pmsqrd]

Both our moderns are manuals. 99 Ranger 5 speed, 14 Mazda 6 speed. My wife dislikes automatics. So does my son and daughter.

[Peyton]

I still shift gears in my 73 Beetle --- oh, but I guess it's not modern. But it is my daily driver.

Peyton

[Terry Burtz, Calif]

Consider yourself very lucky if you can purchase a new car with a manual transmission.

Where I live in California (Silicon Valley), air pollution is controlled and enforced by 3 overlapping agencies.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) sets standards throughout the United States.

CARB (California Air Resources Board) sets more restrictive standards throughout California.

BAAQMD (Bay Area Air Quality Management District) sets even more restrictive standards where I live.

To comply, most new cars need to have automatic transmissions that are computer controlled with multiple sensors to meet the standards imposed.

Fortunately, older cars are "grandfathered" and don't need to meet current standards.

[DougVieyra]

Payton, post #67: "...'73 Beetle --- oh, but I guess it's not modern."
________________________________

Payton, if my '69 Beetle is my 'modern' car (and it is), then your '73 Beetle most certainly is a 'modern' car !

But even the Beetles in later years started fooling around with automatics, in their gesture to attract a modern driving public. Remember - the air-cooled VW began production around about 1938 or so.

[John in SATX]

89 Mustang LX 5 speed, 73 VW Thing, 78 VW Bus, 2009 VW TDI Golf 6 speed. Our entire family drives stick including the grandkids - keep the faith.

[SeaSlugs]

There is an awful lot of us that have air cooled VW's....I need to fix a drivers rear axle seal leak on ours if someone who has done this before would like to PM me on how to do it...

[Brad in Germany]

2004 VW R32 and 2000 VW Passsat wagon - all with manual transmissions.

We just ordered a 2016 Beetle convertible....that will eventually be my daughters to drive when she gets her license.....but wanted it with a manual transmission. The only way to get a new Beetle with a manual transmission here in the US is via special factory order and will take over 6 months to build! We figure that the manual shift new Beetle will also be a theft deterrent (reduced insurance rates) and my daughter's friends won't ask to borrow her car either

Brad in Maryland

[CarlG]

A friend of my Dads, way back in 1955, wanted to buy a new Olds, but wanted it with a stick shift. It had to be factory ordered and it took about 6 months to get it, but he did finally get it. According to the dealer at the time, that was the only 1955 Olds produced with a stick shift, even though the automatic was listed as an "extra cost option". GM's way of keeping the base sticker price down I suppose.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by CarlG

A friend of my Dads, way back in 1955, wanted to buy a new Olds, but wanted it with a stick shift. It had to be factory ordered and it took about 6 months to get it, but he did finally get it. According to the dealer at the time, that was the only 1955 Olds produced with a stick shift, even though the automatic was listed as an "extra cost option". GM's way of keeping the base sticker price down I suppose.

Looks like GM learned from Henry with his extra cost bumpers.

[Fullraceflathead]

I drive my Dodge Ram SRT-10 Pickup daily 6 Speed Manual Trans. 5th .70 and 6th is .50 Overdrive. At 75 MPH 1500 RPM on the Viper V10 engine.

[SHEC]

Still "rowing thru the gears" with my '70 VW Beetle and the "A".

Love them both as its fun to out accelerate some of the slush boxes since the drivers are just sitting there and not focused on the go button! Wake up and drive kids......................

Be well -

Chris

SHEC

[HoarseWhisperer]

A friend offered his Dodge Viper to drive.

I couldn't get out of the habit of double-clutching.

[runnin hot]

That's a really good point that I didn't even think of....

1929 "A" pick-up - 3 speed stick
1952 willy's truck - 3 speed stick
1967 Chevy truck - 4 speed stick
1968 Ford Corsair - 4 speed stick
1977 Mini 1000 - 4 speed stick
1986 Innocenti turbo - 5 speed stick

And my daily driver, a 2003 Golf TDI - 5 speed stick.....the only auto we have is my girlfriends car, a 2008 Pontiac G5....I have tried to teach her to row the gears, but boy she can't seem to get the hang of getting the car moving, the only one she doesn't have issues with is the TDI just because you have the torque of the diesel...lol

[armchair67]

Wow there ARE a lot of us with both Model A's and air cooled VWs. my 31 Model A is a stick of course and I have owned a lot of old VWs over the years and still do. The Cadillac CTS-V I owned previous to my Model A was a manual also (6 speed). My current fleet includes:

1931 Model A (manual)
1967 VW Beetle sunroof (Manual-BERG 5 speed with Quaife diff)
1970 VW Fastback (automatic)
2015 VW GTI (manual)
I also have a 1973 VW that I am slowly building, manual also.

As the owner of a plumbing service business, we also have two manual VW panel Buses (73, 78) as well as an automatic (74) in addition to our modern vehicles, which are automatic cause that is all that is offered (99 Chevy Astro, 04 Ford E series, 04 Dodge Sprinter, 2014 and 15 Ram Promasters, 14 Ram C/V)

I used to shift for my parents who both owned manuals when I was a kid (68 and 73 Beetles, 74 Subaru, 80 Toyota, and a 51 MGTD and 69 Jag E Type my dad had back then and still owns). That was in the early-mid 80s. Now my 9 year old stepdaughter shifts for me, as she has since she was about 6. I think it is pretty neat that she knows the different shift patterns for these cars, and that on the Model A you have to take it a little slower as I double clutch. She is also pretty good at judging when to shift by the engine sound which is pretty different across each car. She started out in my 1990 Mexican made Bug which was my daily for many years-sold it last year. My A was my daily for 15 months so she got a lot of crashbox experience!

[crock]

I learned to drive with my fathers 48 chevy woody wagon with vacuum shift. No speed shifting or you were under the hood adjusting the shift linkage. Now own a toy tacoma with standard 5 speed, and of course the Model A.

[JBill]

We lived in the UK for two years (1985-87) and almost all cars there were stick shift. Automatics were the unusual ones. Might have changed a lot since then. Probably has.

[roblesterjr04]

My tenuous love is a 1995 Saab 900, non-turbo, 5spd.

She let me down today on the way to work today, the first day since December that I've taken her to work...

No Saab jokes. I don't find them funny. She is generally a very good car.

[fritznbud]

Every woman I've ever dated drove a stick...

[Fordors]

I factory ordered a 1973 Cutlass S coupe with the 350 and 4 speed. Later that evening I got a call from the dealership owner and he asked this- "Are you sure you want that car?" I answered of course I wanted it, I had put a deposit down on it, didn't I? Apparently he didn't want to be stuck with it should I back out.

[5window]

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2014 Subaru Forester-5 speed stick-my wife insisted. All 3 of my daughters earned to drive on a stick-they now have automatics because their husbands can't drive sticks.

[Rex_A_Lott]

Define modern....
Still have a 74 Chevrolet Wrecker with the 4 Speed, a 73 VW thing with the 4 speed, too.
But the damnedest thing I ever drove was a dirt car with a Bert transmission...you put it in low and mash the clutch to take off, get the revs up right, let the clutch out and then yank it back in high (direct drive). That one blew my dress up for a while.

[bunnyc]

Mercedes ML - auto
Mercedes SL - auto

Always had a boat hauler than was auto and a convertible for pleasure. Most previous convertibles were standard shift.

[al's28/33]

The first vehicle supplied by my employer was a 5 speed Ford Ranger, I had never driven a manual shift before. Burned out two clutches in 3 years but that was more to do with talking on my shoe-phone car phone which was still legal back in 1996 and just not paying attention to which gear I was in......ahhhhhh the olden days!!!