Age and first automobile driving experience

[32buick67]

Including farm experiences, how old were you and what car did you drive for your first time behind the wheel?

 

I was 12 driving a 1984 Mercury Topaz manual transmission.

My family was at a school event, and my dad asked me if I wanted to drive.

The shocked look on my moms face is forever burned in my mind as I drove our family for the first time ever on public roads.

I grew up around equipment, so driving a car wasn't that big of a stretch, and I think my dad guessed as much (he was 11 when he learned to drive the torch car in the junkyard).

 

My daughter drove a 2014 Kia Optima (auto) when she was 8 years old, now that was an awesome experience for all of us!

 

[JRHaelig]

I was 12 or 13 when my mother let me drive up and down the driveway in a light blue 1961 Rambler American station wagon (with her as chaperone).

 

3 on the tree, but I did alright.

[CarlLaFong]

15 years old, no permit yet. The car was a 57 Porsche 356 Speedster.

[39BuickEight]

I was 10 or 11, driving Dad’s K5 Blazer around a friend’s farm, looking for groundhogs.

[Walt G]

Started at about age 15 on the family station wagon ( a 1960 Plymouth Fury III) , I did take drivers ed in high school on the schools yellow 1961 Ford station wagon. But my "real" ( in my opinion) learning to drive was when my Dad patiently showed me how to drive a stick - that was the 1931 Plymouth model Pa sedan I had ( my first car) restored ( with a lot of help from older car friends) mechanically. I always liked stick shift and the car would tell me when to shift as well ( feel in the shift lever/steering wheel of the sensation of how the engine was doing, sound of the engine etc) . Biggest deep breath driving experience was when while 70+ miles east of "home" at the Long Island Auto Museum in Southampton that 3 of us had gone out to see in a friends original 1940 Cadillac series 75 formal sedan , the owner of the car said " I am pretty tired had a late night one of you drive home" - well the other guy that was there had Ford model T's and he answered " I am not gonna drive this big hippy machine" ( guess what era/year that was in ) . SO it was up to me, but the Cadillac had column stick shift that I had never driven before, but I did it good, no grinding of gears and home we went - eventually getting on east/west parkways , hardest thing for me was that the formal sedan had really no rearward vision at all, useless rear view mirror on a car that big with enclosed blind rear quarters. But it happened, after about 15 minutes I became sort of accustomed to where the four corners of the car were.

[edinmass]

Not counting mini bikes, go carts, lawn mowers, and tractors......an actual car. At 9 years of age, I drove a 1908 Stanley through the fields and dirt roads of Conway Massachuetts. 

[KVP]

As a ten year old my grandpa let me drive his Gyromatic equipped 1949 Dodge Coronet down a dirt country road.

[hook]

14 years old in Sharon, Massachusetts back in the mid fifties, my brothers 1954 Corvette. I think your first drive sticks with you forever.

[greenie]

Growing up on a farm, driving came natural, and early. I was driving a tractor by 8-10, the pickup truck by 12. One day my father was hauling sweet corn to a local cannery (1966). He hopped in one truck that pulled a wagon; and he told my 14 year old brother to drive the second truck- for the 6 mile roundtrip to town. My brother reminded my father that he didn’t have a license. My father told him to get moving! We learned driving, and responsibility- early.

[erichill]

We grew up driving dune buggies through the woods. Learn to drive and get unstuck at 9 years old. My father's theory was we would get all the sliding around and going fast crap out of our system before we hit the streets.  He was of course sadly mistaken.  We just learned how to powerslide and drift cars without crashing.  

[Str8-8-Dave]

Oh- you guys all started so late in life- I drove my mom and dad's black and white 1955 Ford Skyliner when I was only 6 yrs. old.  My mother threw me in the passenger seat of the car and drove to the inclined parallel parking spaces behind the old National Bank of Detroit branch on Michigan Avenue in Wayne, Michigan.   She shut the car off, took the keys and her parting words were "I'll be right back, you can stay in the car".  Well- let me just tell you- she was quite angry when she found the car about 100 feet across the parking lot with only a parking lot bunker between the back tires of the Ford and the steep inclined bank down to the Rouge River!  All I had to do was stand up on the seat and pull the little lever on the steering column from P to R- after that we were off to the races...  

[Pfeil]

My dad let me move the car out of the garage and down the driveway at 9 years. At 12 I was learning drag racing off the line techniques in shopping center parking lots with my dad. Note, the stores were closed, and the parking lots were empty. At 14 I got my drag racing license racing in FS/A stock class in a 13 second 100+mph Pontiac Catalina. At 15 I still raced the Catalina but also raced a mid 8 second, 160+ mph Blown altered 421 Pontiac Tempest in AFX and when we altered the wheelbase and put a glass tilt front end it became a "funny car". 

Edited February 21, 2022 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[JACK M]

My moms Hillman Californian, I would guess it to be about a 1955 model and I would have been about 7.

Four speed on the column.

In and out of the garage if she was there.

Down to the end of the road and back if she wasnt.

[TexRiv_63]

My first "driving" experience was at around 6 years old. My dad put me on his lap and I steered his '50 Ford on the rural roads near our Wisconsin lakeside vacation rental. I was already hooked before that though...

[Billy Kingsley]

16 years old, in my brother's 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier. June of 2000. My aunt let me steer while I stood on her knees at 3 years old, don't know what kind of car it was but I remember it was red with a brown interior. 

[pfloro]

I was about 11 or 12 when my dad let me steer the '66 Fairlane in the cemetery. (!)  The car had the 289 V8, AT, but manual steering. It was fun but a little rough.  I still remember that day very clearly. 

 

Paul

Edited February 20, 2022 by pfloro (see edit history)

[pkhammer]

I was 12 or 13 in the mid 70s when Dad showed me how to drive his '70 chevy C/10 pickup. 250 6 cyl. 3 on the tree. Just around the yard and thru the field. I haven't driven a 3 speed column shift for years.......

[Chris Bamford]

My first experience steering a motor vehicle was in our camperized early-'50s Chev or GMC school bus at age of 10 or 11. It was a primitive gravel road — Dad put the transmission in low and it idled along slowly as my big sister and I took turns piloting.

 

My first solo driving was as an unlicensed 15 year old in the family 1965 Pontiac Strato Chief sedan (bottom of the line Canadian model, 3-on-tree, straight six). Mom was at work, Dad on a rare trip out of town but didn't take his keys...

 

Most of our grandkids have had early experiences behind the wheel... sometimes only steering, sometimes in full control of my '26 T touring and closely chaperoned.  Photo below is our eldest grandson at age three. The photo doesn't show it but we are rocketing along at about 2 mph in my 1912 KisselKar and he is earnestly keeping us on the straight and narrow. He was able to change direction on request, but the heavy steering and low velocity meant a very wide turning circle.

 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2022 by Chris Bamford (see edit history)

[Robert G. Smits]

Age 7-8 steering the John Deere 2 cylinder sitting on dad's lap.  Age 10 driving the Ford used to power the hay fork lifting baled hay into the barn.  Age 12 Plowing after school till 10 PM.  After dark you could lite a cigarette (provided by the hired man) on the WD 45 Muffler.  Drove the 47 Ford PU to school on a farm exemption school permit at age 14.  At age 17 I started driving a semi hauling cement culverts to construction sites around the state of Iowa during summer vacation.  Used the money to drop a 57 J-2 mated to a 37 LaSalle 3 Speed into my 53 Olds.  Those were the days.  Thanks for triggering the memories.

[keiser31]

At 15 I first drove my 1931 Dodge coupe. I wasn't supposed to, but I was too tempted. My Dad came home from Chrysler Corporation that night and as he stood looking out the kitchen door window he asked, "How far did you drive the '31 today?" I asked him why he thought I drove the car. He just kept looking out the window and said, "There is only one car we own that can make tracks that thin in the snow." Yep....I was busted.

[dictator27]

Thirteen years old, driving our family car, a 1959 Austin A55 Cambrian on the Sunshine Coast Highway, Sechelt Peninsula, British Columbia.

[Marty Roth]

1946 or 1947, at age 5, sitting on Dad's lap, steering the 1935 Chevy, backing out of the 3-car garage behind our house at the corner of Blancke and Miltonia Streets in Linden, NJ. Then around the block and back to the steep driveway. The same scenario in following  few years with the '37 Packard and '37 Chevy. Later, after the break-in trip to Niagara Falls in 1951, at age 10 I got to actually drive the '42 Chevy, and then a few years later in the city dump, I drove the '51 Pontiac station wagon on the muddy road. A big dump truck came the opposite way, splashing mud all over us. As soon as it happened, very upset, I turned to Dad and asked "should I blow the horn?". He just laughed and asked me if I thought it would help. I said it wouldn't, but would make me feel better. Back then in NJ you took the written test on your 17th birthday and waited 10 days for the driving portion of the Drivers License test which I passed in his '57 Plymouth Savoy. A few weeks later I bought my red 1949 Pontiac convertible - straight-8 and 3-on-the-tree in Elberon, NJ from Vic Lefkowitz's mom and drove it home with my brother Jerry holding a flashlight on the speedometer. Turns out the light switch rheostat was corroded, but I cleaned it, replaced the shredded convertible top, found a replacement for the one missing fender skirt, got a pair of recapped tires for the rear, and did a complete clutch job. Now I had wheels of my own.

[Rivguy]

I was 11 or 12 years old. My Dad would let my older brother and I drive around large empty parking lots. It was my Dad's '64 Pontiac Tempest wagon. It was pretty common to take your kids to the large lots. Back in those days there were no security guards, and the local cops didn't interfere, at least if the parents were also in the car. My Dad also transported our little Honda 50 in the back of our wagon to a big lot in Alameda where we learned to ride in a controlled environment. It was all apart of growing up back in the '60's, even in a big city. If you remember Alan Jackson's song, "Drive for Daddy Gene." It really sums up the experience. 

[31plymouth]

4 hours ago, JACK M said:

My moms Hillman Californian, I would guess it to be about a 1955 model and I would have been about 7.

Four speed on the column.

In and out of the garage if she was there.

Down to the end of the road and back if she wasnt.

I learned on  Hillman in our 40FT driveway.    I was about 14 or 15.   It was a wrecked car thanks to my brother-in law.

Me and my firends would see if we could get through all 4 gears In that driveway.  I seem to recall that the shift pattern was a reversed H.  1st was up and to the right. The stick had a little plastic knob at the end that slid out to get it into reverse,

[Den41Buick]

I was 13 driving with my grandfather in his 1973 Ford LTD 4 door land yacht. Loved that car. 

 

[Bhigdog]

My dad was a moderate social drinker but one afternoon he got a bit carried away and got what I would call tippsy. The car was a  4 door sedan and I was maybe 8 or 9 years old. He had me stand on the rear floor behind him so I could see over his shoulder and tell him where to turn on the drive home. I remember he drove real slow and deliberate.

Wrong on so many levels now and would likely get him jail time today but things were simpler (easier) back then.

So that's my first time "driving" a car.

Dad said I did real good...........Bob

[tcslr]

By 8, I was driving all the farm tractors including plowing, baling, etc. 

by 10, driving the pickups hauling hay wagons.

by 12, driving pickup on road. 
the local police knew who we were - farm business. Different times.

 

[Harold]

When I was about 4 years old my father had me steering our '52 Plymouth.  A while later he had me sit next to him and change gears every time he yelled 'shift!'.   The first time I completely drove a car was on July 4,1969 in the parking lot of the EJ Korvettes store on Staten Island, NY.  I was 15 and the car was a '65 Dodge Coronet 440.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Harold (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

Since everyone here is probably too young to

remember the 1920's, I'll copy this from a friend,

currently 102, who lives in Delaware.  He was interested

in cars from childhood.  It's his first driving experience

at age 7:

 

"In 1925, Daddy introduced a policy of giving a car to

each daughter 18 and older...[In 1927, sister] Doris turned

18 and received a yellow and gold 1927 Buick roadster...

A wonderful thing happened to me in this car.  While riding

with Doris, she had been explaining to me what I already 

knew:  how to coordinate the gas throttle with the clutch

and how to select the gears.  As we came to rest in the 

garage, she said she had to go somewhere in a few minutes, 

and 'Would you like to back the car out of the garage?'

'You bet I would!'  To my amazement, she got out of the car,

stepped to one side, and told me to do it.  Knowing that the

clutch was hard to push in, I gripped the steering wheel and

pushed hard on the clutch a few times to get the feel of it.

I held it in, shifted into reverse, and didn't even touch the

accelerator.  I cautiously found where the clutch pedal 

started to move the car and just let the idling engine do the

rest.  [The car]  moved smoothly out of the garage.  I dis-

engaged the clutch at exactly the right place, shifted into

neutral, and pulled on the parking brake...I was the happiest

boy in town."

[lump]

My first driving experience was in a St Patrick's Day Antique Car Parade in Middletown, Ohio, in 1957. I was 3-1/2 years old. My Dad had built a little gas-powered car for me from lawn mower parts. He lined me up behind a white-painted brass-era touring car, and told me to stay right behind it, and to maintain the distance. "Stop when he stops, and go when he goes. Stay exactly this far away from that white car," he instructed. It seemed simple to me, but Dad worried the whole time. He walked the entire parade route on the sidewalk, keeping pace behind the crowds who were at the curb. Thankfully, I made no mistakes. 

 

Years later, I was honored to be voted in to the SEMA Hall of Fame, in 2004. Unbeknownst to me, they had asked my wife for early photos of me with cars, to be shown on the screens at the SEMA show banquet. You can imagine my surprise when I saw that little car that day, pasted on several giant video screens. LOL 

 

And you're right...you NEVER forget your first driving experience! 

Edited February 21, 2022 by lump (see edit history)

[dictator27]

Thirteen years old in our family car, a 1959 Austin A55 Cambrian on the Sunshine Coast Highway, Sechelt Peninsula, British Columbia.

[BobinVirginia]

I was 11 and the vehicle was single rear wheel 74 K30 Chevy with an SM465 transmission. Dad had tons of commercial lots he snowplowed and turned me loose in the largest lot he had in the middle of the night with nobody around. Great memory! 

[28 Chrysler]

1949 International KB2 at around 10 years old moving the truck around the house to catch the old shingles getting pushed off.

On the back side of the house I had to back up and stay within a couple of feet of the house.

I did a good job for the shortest kid in school sitting on the very front edge of the seat.

[32buick67]

I think based on the results so far the average seems to be 10-12years of age for legit open road experienced and confident driving, and 4-6years for experimental and exhilarating driving, and those in between are out of dire necessity, and we thank you for your service for your parents indiscretions.

Its a good thing this forum is all about historical events prior to 31dec1899, wow, the 1800s were exciting!

 

[Paul Dobbin]

I knew from a very young age that my father was going to teach me how to drive on my 12th birthday.

October 16, 1957 my father came home from work driving his 1954 Metropolitan Convertable  (Named "Tomato Soup", because of its color)

I was waiting and ready!   Our backyard was about an acre and was used as our sports field, including a backstop for baseball, a big left field

suitable for new drivers.  I knew the clutch proceedure and after a few jack rabbit starts we were off.   

After demonstrating my natural driving ability, I was checked out in his old 1950 Austin Saloon (4 door Sedan).   Winter approached soon and 

I got the Austin stuck in Center Field, where it spent the winter.   In the spring he took me to his work campus where we had 2 miles of paved 

roads to drive on, on Sundays.  

Lucky for me we moved to Florida when I was almost 15 and I got a real learners permit and could drive my newly restored Zundapp until I was

16 and got a real driver's license for my 1952 Renault 4CV based "Moon Machine"  (Home made Sports Car)   Now 60 years later I look back and

feel well trained and very lucky to be driving that long.   Only one at fault accident ever, in my 1972 Datsun 240Z.  (Not really all my fault)

Edited March 4, 2022 by Paul Dobbin
spill check (see edit history)

[CarlLaFong]

14 years old, 1957 Porsche Speedster on Mulholland drive in LA Ca

[Gary_Ash]

My early driving experiences were in go-karts.  At about 13 or 14, one of the neighborhood kids sold me a home-made, wood bodied go-kart that my brother and I drove down the alley behind our house in north Baltimore.  I graduated to a kart made by me from angle iron, an aluminum lawn chair, the engine, transmission, and axle from a Pincor reel-type lawn mower with solid rubber tires.  My mother let me rent a gas welder, bless her heart, to weld the frame together.  My brother remembers driving it down the alley as the weld failed between the steering wheel and the steering shaft while he went into the neighbor's hedge at full speed.  At least he lived to laugh about this - and we still do.  As a little time went by, I built a steel tube kart chassis and the karts got better - and louder, with MAC 10 chainsaw engines.  Eventually, the police caught up with me one day as I drove through the neighborhood at 50 mph.  The angry cop threatened to chop up the cart and throw it in his trunk.  It was the end of neighborhood sojourns, but I was ready for a real license and a real car.

 

My home-made go-kart, me in a highly-valued (by me, anyway) work suit and Clark's desert boots.  About 1958-1959.

[8E45E]

When I was 13, I got to actually DRIVE my uncle's Oldsmobile Cutlass, where I was able to steer and use the accelerator and brake pedals with him in the passenger seat.  Prior to that, I only did the lap thing, and help steer while my dad or uncle operated the foot pedals; not to mention, until I was 12-13, I didn't have the necessary height to see over the steering wheel while being able to reach the pedals at the same time!!

 

Craig

[JV Puleo]

Unlike everyone else here...I have no "early" driving experience. No one in my family was particularly interested in cars. It was about the last thing in the world my father would have considered. I didn't even get my driving license until I was 18 because my family flatly refused to allow me to use the car. As a result, I never took driver ed in school. If that sounds strange, I did collect antique guns — my first was a birthday gift from my mother when I was 12.

[Larry Schramm]

9 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

Unlike everyone else here...I have no "early" driving experience. No one in my family was particularly interested in cars. It was about the last thing in the world my father would have considered. I didn't even get my driving license until I was 18 because my family flatly refused to allow me to use the car. As a result, I never took driver ed in school. If that sounds strange, I did collect antique guns — my first was a birthday gift from my mother when I was 12.

 

Been there, done that, except I was 17, instead of 18.  I did take drivers ed though.