[Heybuck]

My first car was a '39 Ford Deluxe Convertible. Manual of course. First paying job was with Budget rent a car so all day I was driving manuals and automatics. Never bothered me all what I was driving.

I drove a manual car for years because that was provided by my employer then later I got automatics. My wife learnt to drive on a manual but she has only ever had automatics since she got her first car.

So when my 3 daughters all became of an age to teach them to drive, I insisted they learn on a manual. No arguments accepted. When they bought their own cars, they could choose what they wanted. The rationale being if you can drive a manual, you can drive anything. They are all excellent drivers today.

First daughter was at University in the country and was invited to stay with a fellow students family in a fairly remote area. A group of 3 boys, 3 girls, they went camping a long way from the homestead one day. The lad who was from the property was driving a pretty rugged old Toyota 4WD. He slipped off a rock and badly injured his back and head. NO radio coverage out there. My daughter was the only person in the group who could drive a manual so she and another girl drove for miles (into the dark), to get back to the homestead to raise an alarm whereupon the lad was finally helicoptered out by paramedics. 30 years on, that family still sends her a Christmas card every year to thank her for her efforts. Manual driving ability saved that boys life.