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!
teaching my wife in our 2011 Corvette Grand Sport. She took her test for her drivers license in my 1965 Plymouth 3 on the tree without power steering. Hasn’t driven a manual transmission since, so a big relearning skill. Going great though.
My wife Fran did very well learning to drive a manual shift 1977 Land Cruiser.
Teaching my wife to drive my 1931 Model A Fordor! She says “Three pedals, no problem!”
This is a great idea, it inspired me to teach my daughter to drive my V6 Six Speed Manual Honda Accord. The lesson went great and she loved it!
Teaching my daughter in our 92 Miata (the rat) just got her license, almost got it
MY 15yo son Andrew is learning to drive on my '71 Porsche 914. If he can figure out how to shift this car he can drive any manual on the planet!
My son learning to drive manual in a '09 Corolla.
learning the gears!
Another manual driver in process! My youngest in my ‘15 JKU (we’ll not be learning the 1960 Austin Healey 3000 for quite a while).
Thanks a lot, Hagerty, for encouraging all of us to teach this important skill! We’re a big three pedal family, and my other two kids daily drive manuals.
All the best from Colorado!
Attached are my pictures for National Stickshift Day including a picture of myself and my grandfather in 1957 in his 1937 Packard on which I learned to drive a stickshift. Here I am teaching my grandson on the same car!
I'm in.
I'm teaching my daughter to drive manual.
This is such a great idea. I've loved driving stick shift all my life and still drive one on a daily basis today. Thought this was the perfect time to take my daughter Olivia up to the school parking lot and teach her the 6-speed in my G35 sedan. She's been wanting to learn.
I start the same way some others have mentioned. On flat ground, I have her release the clutch without giving it any gas, so she learns the biting point. She did a nice job on the starting and stopping. Next time we will work more on shifting.
I taught my son on the same car and he loves it. When the kids get older, they can try on the old Chevy Nova. Funny, my son saw a 6-speed Camaro in a parking lot last week and he said, ..."look, someone who actually enjoys driving." Too funny...
Thanks for this post and opportunity to share!
My son and I finally got our schedules to align, and spent an afternoon introducing him to manual shifting! A little trepidation... and a few stalls at first, practicing in a big parking lot... soon we were out on the highway with grins on both our faces. Thanks, Hagerty, for encouraging us to do something we should have long ago! 
Took my 15 year old granddaughter to the church parking lot last Sunday and taught her to drive the manual transmission in my 1974(1/2) TR-6. She hopes to pass her driving permit test later this month to prepare for her drivers ed class fall semester.
Teaching my brother, my first step is the student sits in passenger seat and shifts with left hand.
passenger shifting
Save the Manual! Here's Kandi shifting through the gears of a BMW Z4!
teaching my son in my 65 fastback
Teaching a new driver.
Teaching my wife to drive her 1958 MG ZB Magnette; she's also learned to drive the '53 TD (shown here) and soon she'll move on to the right hand drive cars! Thanks for your support of this fun program to teach more folks how to drive "stick."
Hello - I bought my son a car several years ago, a '91 BMW 318is. He was 13 at the time, and we spent several afternoons in the church parking lot as he began learning to drive stick. He is now 15, and has his permit which means he is ready to really learn, something we have spent hours doing. I have a attached a picture of the car along with him working on it during one of many projects we have completed.
He would love a hat, he wears hats all the time, and is excited to get this one.
Thanks,
-Jason
Ha, both are sticks>
Teaching my daughter to drive a stick in my MGB. We're still speaking to each other and there's a little life left in my clutch.
My wife learning how to drive a manual in our 1995 Corvette. She's a natural.
Great idea. Today I taught my daughter how to drive a ‘stick’. We had fun because the only vehicle we have to teach her this wonderful skill on is my 1937 Chev ton and half truck. She did great. She’s a quick study and looks forward to some quiet drives through the countryside where we live.
Spent some time with my wife who finally agreed to drive a manual transmission after all of these years. She did great! 2018 Scat Pack Challenger, 6-speed. Next lesson will be in our low mile Mustang GT.
RHD stick shift in an MGF
teaching our son how to get in in gear in our driveway. Never too soon to teach him the 5 speed!
Teaching my wife how to drive stick here!
Teaching my 15 y/o daughter on the 5 sp manual pontiac sunfire.
Hi Rachel!
I spent time training my son Jim on the art of driving a stick shift. That’s him at the wheel with me as co pilot. See attached photo. I participated several years ago when you were in the Chicago area. See attached photo. I had a blast and I think this is a great initiative. Hope you folks keep it going!
I assume you will reach out to me for my mailing address
regards
marty cunningham
mcunnin812@aol.com
847 606 3734
Taught my daughter and son-in-law who were visiting from Vermont on my 2020 Mazda Miata 6 speed. We all had a good time.
I've taught all of my 5 children how to drive a manual transmission vehicle. I'm now teaching my 16 year old granddaughter how to drive a manual. I printed off your "Manual Manual" for her. She loved it. Today I worked with her for a couple of hours using her Mom's Golf TDI. We then let her drive my son's 64 VW Beetle. She did great with both cars. She even learned how to start on a hill! One more "Stick" driver!
Hi Rachel -
The attached photo is teaching my 9 year old grandson the 4-speed shift pattern in a 1959 Corvette.
For the real action of the story, visit the YouTube link:
https://youtu.be/XjjfbWbLmI4
In maybe 15 years, you may be billing him instead of me for this car.
JVinTexas
I've been teaching my 16-year-old son Nick how to drive his 2006 Infiniti G35 Revup 6-speed coupe. He's doing great at it and loves how it makes you feel more in tune with the car. I'm happy to say that makes three avid manual drivers in our small family so far!
We had a great time! The old saginaw 4 speed is a great learning tool - almost impossible to stall with the 3.5:1 first gear, and if you can shift a crusty old trans with worn syncros you can shift anything!
1st driving lesson this past weekend where I (Mom) taught my son how to drive stick on the car (2000 Jetta GKS VR6) that he bought and paid for with his saved up money. He purposely bought a car with a manual transmission so he could learn on it!
Had a great time teaching my wife Zuzana how to drive a 5 Speed! Success 🙈
teaching my daughter to shift my Focus RS. She was stressed at first, but after we spent an hour driving around the local high school lot she was much more comfortable.
Three Pedals, No Problem! 😊
