In what vehicle did you learn to drive?

[BeakDoc]

I thought this would be a neat, nostalgic topic. I did a forum search and a google “site” search and came up empty. If the topic has been broached and I missed it, please forgive me.

My first real driving experience came when I was 11 or 12. I used to help my grandad on his farm during the summer months. He taught me how to drive in his beat-to-heck ‘68 C10 long bed farm truck. In line 6, 3 on the tree, no power steering and the clutch would not disengage unless the pedal was mashed to the floor. He attached a 2x4 block to the clutch pedal with hose clamps so I could follow him in the truck while he drove the tractor/dozer/cattle truck etc. The amount I learned from a man with a third grade education astounds me to this day. 

[Reegs]

1961 Dodge Lancer station wagon with the pushbutton automatic. 

[Miatatom]

1956 Buick 4 door. It wasn't a boat, it was a battleship! 

[Snake45]

Cool topic! 

My school's driver ed program had a fleet (maybe 8 or 10 or 12) of GM vehicles. I think they were mostly '70 Impalas but there was one Chevy truck and one Pontiac Tempest/Lemans. The first day we actually drove I picked the Pontiac, just 'cause it was smaller. Not sure if I ever got to drive that one again or not, I think mostly after that it was the Impalas. I think I drove the truck once, but not 100% sure. 

My Mom's car at the time was also a '70 Impala, light green with dark green vinyl top and interior. That's the car I took my driver test in. 

[Zippi]

I started out learning to drive in the neighbors 1956 Chrysler that had the push button transmission.  My first car was my grandfathers 1957 Studebaker.  

Edited April 26, 2021 by Zippi

[Deuces ll]

A '67 Biscayne with an inline 6 and a 3 on the tree.... Been driving stick cars ever since...

[StevenGuthmiller]

My school's "driver's ed car" was a red station wagon.

I have no memory of what it was, but I really did the majority of my learning in my father's second car.

A tan 1968 Buick Skylark 4 door sedan.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Muncie]

The two family station wagons - 

1960 Dodge Seneca (base trim level) wagon, 318 V-8 and three on the tree.  (It's cool to see two 1960 Dodge threads currently on the forum!)

1965 Plymouth Belvedere II wagon, slant six and three on the tree. 

[stitchdup]

The first vehicle I drove was a early 60s fordson tractor. I was around 12 and the lesson consisted of thats the steering, thats the throttle and those are the brakes but you dont need to worry about them cos they dont work anyway. OK I'll see you there.... and the guy cleared off and left me with what amounted to 4 wheels and and engine  with a seat rusted on the back.

The first road vehicle I drove was a 1971 vw bus that was lhd. Surprised a few farmers whn it would go most places their landies could, and got stopped by the cops loads cos whys a kid driving

[iamsuperdan]

1978 Plymouth Fury "Sport Suburban"

 

That was my mum's wagon and learning to parallel park in that is why I'm still so good at parking to this day!

Started in that the day I got my learner's permit at 14. 

At the time, my dad also had a 1977 Plymouth Fury sedan, but for whatever reason when he took me out for driving lessons, we always took the wagon. 

 

Just before I turned 16 in late 1989, she got a new 1989 Subaru Loyale wagon. So I was driving that for a bit.

 

Then I turned 16 and bought my first car; a 1978 Thunderbird.

[Rob Hall]

I got my learners permit I think at 14...started practicing at home in Ohio in the summer, with my Dad in his '79 Dodge Power Wagon 4x4 pickup (super numb steering, would stall on left turns), my Dad's then-new '84 Ford Escort diesel (great for parallel parking, and learning to use a manual transmission), and his '84 Lincoln Town Car (not great for parallel parking).   Did this during the summer when I was 14 and 15 (1984, 1985). 

My Florida high school used an '83ish Caprice 4dr and a Celebrity of the same era for their driving training..both were tan IIRC.  

I took my driving test at 16 in the Escort, as it was the easiest to parallel park.    I drove the Escort for a while once I got my license until I got my '87 Mustang GT. 

[DonW]

The first car I drove on a public road was a hired Fiat 500 on the Spanish island of Majorca on a family holiday.

I learned to drive and took my tests (failed one from overconfidence, passed one!) in my 1953 RME Riley.

[forthlin]

  My parents 1960 Pontiac Catalina. 

[Xingu]

I learned to drive and parallel park in a custom 1976 Dodge van. The driving test was a breeze when I took it it my mother's 1978 Monte Carlo.

[larry ray]

49 Dodge fluid drive and 50 chevy  PU

[TonyK]

'68 Chevy Nova and '68 Chevy Impala; my parents cars. I remember the high school drivers ed cars were early 70's Impalas. Big cars. By then I knew fully how to drive but drivers ed would lower your insurance a bit. Still remember the teacher leaning back just a little sideways in the seat as he realized I knew how to drive and he seemed pretty comfortable about it.

[Dave Van]

Dad drove me to a huge parking lot that had a basketball court. He got out of our 1973 Pinto Wagon 4 spd manual, handed me the keys and said drive for an hour while he played basketball. I wanted to drive so bad I learned in that one hour. That 73 Pinto was really a decent little car. 

[Danno]

Family's 1962 Dodge Dart 330 sedan, 318 & 3-speed push button automatic.  Great car. 

I can't remember what the Drivers Ed cars were - something obviously very non-descript. 

🌵😎

[Tom Geiger]

When I was 15 I bought a lawn tractor with a clutch for my lawn mowing business. All summer I was on it daily so I got my basics there.

In NJ we got our permit / license at 17. When I was 16 a friend of mine was 17 and had a  1962 Chevy II. My other friend of this trio was also 16 and we’d take turns driving around the suburbs. 

As a car guy I wanted to get my permit ASAP. My grandfather wanted to teach me to drive, so he took me to DMV on my birthday in his big LTD. I wanted to drive it home! He said no!

We got back to the house and switched to my family’s 1966 Valiant.  My grandfather wanted to show me the basics, but I got in it and well, drove! He was amazed! It was a miracle!  He had no idea I had been driving that Chevy II around all year!

[RSchnell]

This '29 Model A Pickup. I was 12 & used the truck to haul stuff around the property. Thought I was hot stuff getting paid to drive at 12! When I turned 16 I took my driver's test in a '55 Ford Tudor that I had bought. The examiner was amazed that a 16 yr old kid in the 90s knew how to handle column shift! 

[Vietnam Vet67]

Detroit Public Schools Driver education program in 1960. Drove Valiants and Falcons.

[cobraman]

1962 Ford. 292 auto.

[TransAmMike]

As far as I can remember (it was a very very long time ago) it was my Dads '57 Chevy Bel Alir 2dr Hdtp, 283 4bbl  w/Powerglide.   The car eventually became my first car.

[Fat Brian]

Our Drivers Ed car was an early 90s Dodge Shadow, a hot steaming pile of k car garbage. Once I got my permit I drove my grandmother's 85 Delta 88.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Fat Brian

[ewetwo]

Datsun station wagon just like this one. With a 4 speed manual transmission. Before I got my license. My mom and step dad went on vacantion to Florida with all my younger brothers and sisters. But my older brother and I stayed home. My grandmother's property backed up to the property we were renting at the time. So my mom parked the wagon in my grandmother's garage. Well my older brother had a party and two of his friends wanted to go for a joy ride. We rolled my mothers car down the drive way and to the street so my grandmother wouldn't hear the engine. We went out of town and at one point I decided we should head back. So I pulled into this house's driveway and turned around. Well about 7 months later my mom and step father bought a house and they took us to see it. Wouldn't you know it was the house that I turned around at that night. I thought for sure they knew what I had done. But no. What would be the chances right? LOL