We’re on a mission to get more people shifting gears

[Rachel]

Help us reach our goal of teaching 500 drivers in 50 days how to drive a manual!

There’s nothing like driving a stick shift – feeling the gears change, connecting with the car and the road – and we’re on a mission to get more people experiencing that excitement.

It all starts on National Stick Shift Day (July 16). We’ll be kicking off the day at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI, celebrating 10 years of the Hagerty Driving Experience (our program designed to teach young drivers how to operate a vehicle with a manual transmission)!

You can take part no matter where you are, anytime from July 16 – Sept. 3 - here's how:

• Spend an hour with someone who doesn't know how to drive a manual - a family member, a friend or neighbor - and give them a lesson (see the attached 'manual manual' as a reference guide)
• Reply to this post with a photo from the experience (Photo attaching tutorial here)
• We’ll follow up with you via direct message for your address so we can send you two of our '3 Pedals, No Problem' hats from The Shop. Please allow 2-4 weeks for shipping. 

Thank you for joining the fun - Never Stop Driving! 

[70-Z28-RS-LT-1]

This idea is wide slam open!

[LowBuckLarry]

Wednesday afternoon, I took my 19 year old grandson, Mitchell, to the former Sears center parking lot in Hoffman Estates Illinois.  This parking lot covers several acres and was a perfect no traffic spot for him to learn how to shift gears in my 1998 Mustang cobra convertible.  As you might know, Mustang Cobra's only came with 5 speeds.  No Automatics were available in Cobras.  Mitch did real well for the first time.  He only killed it twice while taking off.  I intend to take him several more times.  Rome wasn't built in a day.Learning to drive a 5 speed.

[doubleD]

Teaching my son to drive a Model A.

[Jack1955]

Girls that can drive sticks "go everywhere". My wife and I tag-team taught a neighbor to drive!Gals that drive stick "go everywhere"! My wife and I tag-team taught/coached our neighbor!

[63whiteplymouth]

Awesome idea! I love stick shift   Count me in

[FrankNBeans]

 

[KayLumberry]

Love this idea, made both my kids learn to drive a stick!!

[BJT]

Looking forward to it, got the perfect daughter in mind who loves cars and classics even more.

[BJT]

Getting ready to hit the road again after practicing our level driving.  Starts on the incline are fun but not when folks get to close behind you - pressures on! Still some skills needing to be developed but nothing practice can't cure.  Lots of smiles and a good thing for everyone to learn standard or manual, your choice of term.

[BJT]

BTW

This is the same girl at only a few months old, wow time flys faster than the fastest cars. 

[Ronjesberger]

Count me in!!! Every child down to my 9 year old!!

[Frosas421]

Sounds cool, I will try to start soon, I have been a driving instructor in several driving modes for many years now. I’m interested in this.....so cool.  

[Kurt_b]

Our 

 

 

[miata93]

I tried to teach him but his legs were too short.

[TheTinker]

Wish I had waited to teach my kids 😂  They both own manual transmission vehicles and their friends are confused as to why they want to drive stick.  Their answer - "because it's real driving"

[Rachel]

Smart kids!

[TheTinker]

My daughter was the only girl in her high school who could use three pedals and is the only one she knows at UNCW that drives stick.

[dennis6]

What a pleasant surprise to see so much stick enthusiasm. At 74 years old, some of my first cars were stick, some 3 on the tree, such fun to drive and a bonus was when the battery was weak and tough start, just have friends push and pop the clutch and on we went. I have have a 97 4 runner five speed and love it as a good counter to my 2006 SLK 350. 

[beeser]

"3 on the tree"? I still have a car that's 4 on the tree! 1967 Citroen DS. Also had 4 on the tree in a 1958 Hillman Minx, 1963 Mercedes Benz 220SE, 1964 and 1968 Peugeot 404 wagons, and 1967 and 1971 SAAB 95s. Back in the '50s and '60s, those Europeans were daffy over shifting on the column....

[wendy834gt]

I drive an '04 Mustang GT and a 2015 Nissan Versa - both are 5 speeds cause I won't drive an automatic. Period. Paddle shift isn't included - I think it's cheating and I don't care that it's 'faster'. Been trying to teach my adult offspring how to drive a stick. Guess which one they WON'T be driving...I'll be sending a pic.

Not a "new driver"...

[Nealm]

Count me in. Where to sign up? Love the idea. Grandchildren to learn on 1955 MGA and

1971 Jaguar XKE

[Dhturk]

Taught my wife (to be)  forty six years ago, on her then recently purchased 1965 Plymouth Valiant. It had a 225ci slant six with a three on the tree. I tuned it up, but the transmission had a noisy bearing. Despite my instruction, she did learn to drive,  and eventually became my wife. She  still drives my 2007 BMW Z4 3.0si with a six speed.

[TR64]

I’m in. Learned in high school in my aunt ‘60’s VW bus with split windshield; great fun picking up friends for school. Have a recent HS graduate who might love this. How about sweeten the deal and post a picture of the hat??

[Rachel]

Three Pedals Baseball Cap | The Shop by Hagerty

Hope she likes it enough to want to learn! Thanks for teaching!

[MLFifer]

My Grandson is 15.5 and he already owns a 2006 Honda Civic but I just did this very thing with him in my 2008 Mustang Bullitt and he has learned well. He can hold on a hill and I even had him do a burnout. We do this on our fairgrounds parking lot.

Can I submit this one?

[Rachel]

Awesome - thanks for teaching him! If you have a photo of him with the Bullitt we'd love to see it!

[Keri32]

I'm in. My daughter wants to learn and this is a fantastic idea.  I love it

[Prenner]

 Great idea, we will see how my 18-year-old daughter does. I remember teaching my oldest son a quick lesson on an old Ford 150. Then we went to a used car dealer and he selected A 1998 BMW five speed. I left him at the dealer with the car, Home was 25 miles away, and told him to figure it out. He was fine

[Staylor]

We are in just bought my son his first car a 1965 Ford Falcon shifter on the column 

[Vieira]

I have been trying to get my husband to teach me on his 03 Cobra so I can drive it. I’m going to have to show him this. 😎 

[bobcatbob007]

Sure if  you can find anyone who can drive.  Cause from what I see everyone  under 40 should just take the bus. and Not being able to drive a stick just made it worse.  AND electric cars will just make even more worse 

[fleitmann]

I have just taught my 17 year old granddaughter to drive a manual in my Tacoma.  She is the only one in her class that can read  a tachometer , go  smoothly through the gears and downshift.  She loves it.

She  loves it.

[8NTMYFAULT]

This is perfect timing!  My wife will have lots of fun learning to drive standard

[My2Alfas]

     I'm in! Already taught my wife years ago, and each of my 3 kids when they were old enough.  My grandkids are too young. But I'll find someone to teach.

     My youngest son recently owned a manual shift car, and he loved the feeling of, as you said, "connecting with the car and the road"  

[badcatt]

I'm in. I have thousands of miles driving a manual shift. From a Kenworth with a Road Ranger 13 speed to a 53 Chevy with a 3 on the tree. I currently have 2 stick shift cars, a Miata with a 6 speed and a 70 Cougar that I put a 5 speed in. 

[Oddball]

Been waiting to teach my son, he's got six months under his belt, let's go!

[CDoug]

Great idea; except I tried it on my two teenagers in large parking lot on a 1995 Jeep Wrangler and both said "too much work", my daughter was better than my son. Both were great high school athletes but alas driving a stick, not for them.  I might try now w/3rd.......but concerned my fully restored 1964 MGB clutch will not be right "test" vehicle for him!   Aaargh. 

[her66bu]

My daughter want's to learn how to drive my 66 Malibu 4spd. What could possibly go wrong? It's only money count us in.

We may have a few other volunteers.

[LotusDave]

Count me in. Do I trust my 14 year old with the Miata, Esprit of Mazda 3?

[Mcunnin812]

I did this live in the Chicago area and it was a fantastic afternoon. Is hagerty ever taking this on road again?  Either way I am in!!!!! Shift Happens!!!

[Rachel]

That Driving Experience in Aurora in 2016 was a blast! We are hosting the next program in Dearborn this week and a few other stops before 2021 ends. Hopefully back to the Chicago area in 2022. Thanks!

[Mcunnin812]

• 

   a blast!

[flemboy]

A skill that will last a lifetime!

[REC]

Is it true Biden wants to issue an executive order requiring all cars to be equipped with automatic transmissions?

I guess he thinks "Nobody can shift for themselves!"

[Buck25]

Fast learner in a slow Jeep.  Love those three pedal rides!

 

[Rachel]

Very cool!

[maxxsid]

I taught my 16.5 year old son in my '76 VW bus... on the streets.  I had read that stick shift was better for kids with ADHD so before he got his actual car we'd see how he'd do with mine.  He was nervous he'd conk out, etc. but I told him to think of it like SEX (yes, he was of that age -  I had to make it relatable)... "ease into it, don't rush, take your time and feel it out to know when it's time to shift gears".  May not make me mother of the year, but I'll tell you that it worked perfectly and he got it immediately!  (He conked out once at the first light turning left, but I told him "it was fine, not to worry, everyone will wait for you when you're in this van!)  Note:  when he was younger, I did let him shift for me when I was driving home from the beach, so knowing where to move the unmarked stick helped him also learn quicker.   I don't think I should send in a photo though, he might not appreciate it.  🙂 I figure the story is better than any photo anyway!

[Rachel]

Great story - thanks for sharing!

[OldEngineer]

Spent the weekend teaching my daughter all about three pedals in my 1979 MGB (...and yes, I know it needs a bath 🙂  After four lessons, she picked it up pretty well - and to dad's great joy - LOVED IT!!

OldEngineer

[Rachel]

Great photo - thanks for sharing!