First vehicle you drove

[kphoger]

I tried to drive my dad's '69 Chevy pickup with a granny gear 4 speed but it wasn't successful.

I grew up on Toyota stick shift cars.  One day, I was at a track meet in my home town, and I needed to run home to pick something up.  I went over to the long jump pit to ask a guy if I could borrow his car.
He said – Sure, no problem.  You know how to drive stick, right?
– Oh, yeah, I know how to drive stick!

It was a 1971 Dodge Ram four-speed–totally unlike anything I'd ever driven.  The closest thing I'd driven was a Ford Ranger.  It took me probably five minutes to back out of the parking space.  First gear being such a granny gear was also a bit of a surprise.  But I made it home and back, and had fun doing it.

[cpzilliacus]

I tried to drive my dad's '69 Chevy pickup with a granny gear 4 speed but it wasn't successful.

I grew up on Toyota stick shift cars.  One day, I was at a track meet in my home town, and I needed to run home to pick something up.  I went over to the long jump pit to ask a guy if I could borrow his car.
He said – Sure, no problem.  You know how to drive stick, right?
– Oh, yeah, I know how to drive stick!

It was a 1971 Dodge Ram four-speed–totally unlike anything I'd ever driven.  The closest thing I'd driven was a Ford Ranger.  It took me probably five minutes to back out of the parking space.  First gear being such a granny gear was also a bit of a surprise.  But I made it home and back, and had fun doing it.

First automobile I drove was probably a 1966 Plymouth Valiant with a 225 cid slant six under the hood.

First vehicle I drove with a standard transmission was a 1974 Chevrolet Vega (as part of driver education). 

No, the engine block did not melt-down while we were driving it.

It was pretty fun, because those of us that wanted to learn manual got the Vega (most kids, even then, were not interested in learning to drive a car with a clutch), so we got more behind-the-wheel training than the students fearful of that third pedal.

[Dr Frankenstein]

My dad's 2001 VW Jetta, when I got my learner's permit. Then my mom's Dodge Neon, then a few various cars; all but one of them manual, including the Jetta.

Result: To this date, I still hate driving automatic.

[PHLBOS]

First car I attempted to drive (or by accident): my mother's 1964 Ford Country Squire wagon, I was about 4 or 5 at the time (1969-1970).  It was parked in the driveway (which had a short, downward slope (but not too steep)  into the back yard).  Opened the driver's side door (it was unlocked), sat in the driver's seat and started pushing w/some of the buttons & controls.  At one point, I grabbed the steering-column-mounted gearshift and it moved downward towards the neutral position (cars back then didn't have locked transmission shifts) and the car started rolling down the driveway about 5 to 6 feet until it reached the bottom.  I think the front fender might've brushed against the wooden fence alongside.

The first vehicle I actually was old enough to and intended to drive was my brother's 1971 Chrysler Newport 4-door hardtop in a deserted parking lot around 1981.

The car I took my driver's test (& passed) on was my mother's 1977 Ford LTD II 4-door in May of 1982.

The first car I owned was a 1969 Ford LTD Brougham 4-door sedan I paid $300 for in 1982.

The first manual transmissioned car I drove was my father's 1972 Ford Pinto station wagon he had in 1982.

[Truvelo]

The first car I drove was a Peugeot 205 my driving instructor had in 1994.

[Brandon]

My first was my parents' '81 Dodge Aires with a manual transmission.  They bought it new and kept it for 14 years.  The first car I owned was a '02 Chrysler PT Cruiser, automatic, also bought new.

[agentsteel53]

the first vehicle I drove regularly was my mom's '96 Civic.  automatic transmission. 

my first car which I owned was a '90 Mitsubishi Galant, which I bought in 2003 for $600.  got me from Boston to LA and back without a hitch, and then promptly fell apart.  but around then, I graduated, got a well-paying job, and bought a 2002 Ford Mustang for $10300.  that's still the most I've ever paid for a car; nowadays I tend to buy a 10-15 year old car for about $2000, and run it into the ground.

I've owned precisely one manual transmission car - an '89 Escort which I took from 203000 miles to 245000 miles on the odometer, in the span of about 8 months.

[kphoger]

2001 VW Jetta [...] manual

Excellent driving car.

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

1984 Honda Accord hatchback.

When I was 6.

[nexus73]

1956 Ford 2-door post.  The driveline fell out as I drove.  Thank heavens my friends and I were right here in town and going downhill...LOL!

Driving came instinctively to me.  I was 14 when I began to drive even if I had no permit or license.  It was FUN!  Wish I could say the same today.

Rick

[catch22]

1953 Ford F100 pickup, my uncle's farm truck.  I was about 10 or 11, so that would be 1962 or thereabouts.  It was a real beater, but I had a blast learning to drive with it.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Mom's 1998 Chevy Silverado.

[bulldog1979]

The first vehicle I drove was my grandfather's 1981 Dodge Ram 150 pickup. I was with my grandparents the day they bought it in 1981, and I was with my mom last August when it was sold after my grandfather's death the previous April.

[kurumi]

Grandpa's Farmall tractor (can't recall the model); Toyota Corolla (stick); Cessna 152.

[cjk374]

My friend let me drive his 1976 Olds Cutlass in his backyard.  My first 3 attempts to move forward I spun the wheels because I pressed the gas pedal a lil too hard a lil too quick.

I took my drivers license test, went to prom, & drove my 1st year in my mom's 1987 Olds Custom Cruiser station wagon.

My 1st car I owned was a 1980 Chevy Citation.  I paid $400 for it at a church garage sale, put 57,000 miles on it in 2 years, then got $950 from insurance after I was rear-ended by a high-school kid who was driving a 1981 Volvo.

[djsinco]

I knew someone who was unfortunate enough to own a Citation in the early 1980's. Really, what a poor name for a car. A citation in auto lingo is a ticket. Also, he had to loosen or remove the radiator to change the spark plugs or something else equally ridiculous. It has been a few decades, so my memory isn't totally clear, but that was not as bad as my parents Chevy Monza; in which the car needed to be put on a lift as the engine mounts had to be loosened to pry the engine to one side to change the spark plugs. Mr. Goodwrench was really pushing his luck in those days, which opened the door to the popularity of imports (among other reasons.) 

[Big John]

I knew someone who was unfortunate enough to own a Citation in the early 1980's. Really, what a poor name for a car. A citation in auto lingo is a ticket. Also, he had to loosen or remove the radiator to change the spark plugs or something else equally ridiculous.

21 and my first car was a used 1981 Citation.  Had lots of problems.

[cjk374]

I never had any problems with my Citation.  My friend & I did change the 4-cylinder for a 6-cylinder, but that was just to get a little more power going down the road.

[Alps]

1997 buick century station wagon. all the chicks dug the mommymobile

[kphoger]

1997 buick century station wagon. all the chicks dug the mommymobile

At least all the mommies....

[Brandon]

1997 buick century station wagon. all the chicks dug the mommymobile

Think about it for a second.  There's this large, flat area in the back with the rear seat folded down. 

There are things you can do with station wagons and minivans that can't be done with two-seat sports cars. 

[leroys73]

1997 buick century station wagon. all the chicks dug the mommymobile

Think about it for a second.  There's this large, flat area in the back with the rear seat folded down. 

There are things you can do with station wagons and minivans that can't be done with two-seat sports cars. 

You bet and in comfort!

I did it in my 1973 Corvette.  Of course I was young, in shape, and not fat.  A friend did it in a TR4A.

Where there is a will there is a way.

[cpzilliacus]

I knew someone who was unfortunate enough to own a Citation in the early 1980's. Really, what a poor name for a car. A citation in auto lingo is a ticket.

Though the Cadillac Cimmaron (based on the Chevy Citation) was worse, only because it was a Citation with a Cadillac pricetag.   

It took quite a few years for Caddy to recover from the damage that the Cimmaron did to its image.

[djsinco]

Yes, the Cimarron was a definite mistake

[bugo]

The Cimarron was not based on the Citation.  It was a J car, along with the Chevy Cavalier, Pontiac Sunbird, Oldsmobile Firenza, and Buick Skyhawk.