What car did you drive in your driver's test?

[Don Boshara #594]

In 1946 in my Mom’s ‘42 Pontiac. The driving test consisted of driving less than a mile through a park. No parallel parking. When we got back to the station the man asked me who brought me there. I said, “I did.” He didn’t say anything for a few seconds, then sighed, “Oh well.”

[Art Director]

My father's 1966 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 on March 5, 1974, the day after my 16th birthday.

Exactly three months earlier, December 5, 1973, it was snowing in Colorado Springs, Colo. I passed the written test that day and earned a learner's permit. On the way home from the DMV with my father riding shotgun in the same Olds, I lost control on a patch of ice and came very close to hitting a stop sign on the opposite curb.

[Sweede64]

The driwingschool SAAB 900 -83, in january, in sweden its mandatory to do an lesson in winter driving, we drove for 80miles in a snowstorm to the location and skidded around for 20 minutes..... make sense NOT.

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

In 1958 I took my test in my Mom's 56 Orchid and Black Sedan deVille.  I haven't thought about that until now, but I remember being embarrassed at not having a '50 Merc or something equally cool, but having to use "Mommy's car".
Mom, I guess you were right when you said "Someday you will understand".
Greg

[Steve Passmore]

Here in England in my very first car, a 1936 Wolseley 14 hp still carrying War damage to its fenders, I bought it from a neighbor for £5 sterling.($7.50) 2 weeks wages for me then.  I drove that to the test centre three times without a licence before I passed.  when the examiner asked how I got there I would say my brother sat with me for the journey and was gone for a walk ( learner drivers had to be accompanied) After I failed I would wait till he went back in his office and Id drive away. This was still War damaged Britain and no one seemed to care much.

[TJ Hopland]

79 Bonneville Safari wagon.  My test was on one of those big city fake test areas, not on real city streets.  I remember parallel parking the space was about 1' longer than my car. I think the flags had been knocked over several times and no one bothered to put them back on the lines so I just went through the proper process without trying to get into the space.  Turns out I made the right decision because hitting a flag would have been a fail. Also using the proper procedure was worth more points than the actual outcome.  I think I lost 3 points total, 2 for the parking outcome and 1 for use of accelerator, moms old wagon had a hesitation problem that now that I think about it turned out to be the wires in the HEI pickup coil breaking.  I think it failed completely a month or so after my test. 

[Coupe]

In 1961 I took my test one week after my 15th birthday in my parents 1956 Olds Holiday 4 door hardtop. I wanted to take it my 1938 Chevrolet coupe but my Dad talked me out of it. There were no turn signals and the mufflers were toooo loud. He split the manifold for me and we put a set of glass packs on it . If I remember correctly they were for a '34 Plymouth, about 13" long. I was pulled over a number of times by the police because someone complained about the noise. All they said was "this is the only gray coupe in town so it has to be you"  but they never heard it so no tickets.

At age 14 I bought the coupe in 1960 from the original owner and my Dad and I gave it a basic overhaul, rings, a valve job and removed shims from the bearings as needed. We also put in a new clutch and rebuilt the brakes. 49 years later I still own that coupe.

[Otto Skorzeny]

Post a picture of that car Paul.

[Steve Passmore]

Naughty Naughty Forrest.

[Coupe]

Here's the only one I have on my desktop now. It's a little different than when I was 14. It was a hot rod then and still is. That's a Ram Jet 350 couple to 700R4. the only body work left is to fill the holes in the firewall. Should be on the road by spring.

[Coupe]

Otto, If you expected a real project here's one for you. It's a good thing the cops weren't around this day. They would have been concerned about more than loud mufflers.

[Dewane Ollech]

Mine was a '74 AMC Hornet.
It belonged to the driving school I attended.
My father taught me to drive at 9, and let me drive regularly, although illegally, from 12.
He'd sit and smoke his cigarettes while I drove, and then about a mile from home we'd switch and he'd drive in the driveway so Mom wouldn't know.
However, a driving school diploma equalled lesser insurance costs for a 16 year old. I was such a proficient driver, that on my 2nd lesson, the driving instructor told me to drive to McDonald's where we spent all but about 25 minutes of my lesson. He said, Shoot, you drive as good as I do. Thanks Dad.

[Otto Skorzeny]

What is that thing Paul, a 53 Chevy or something like that?

[57flw]

Mine was an Australian Army Landrover in 1966.

I was 17 and that is who looked after me for 21 years. ( Photo shows me at 19, still the same landrover.)

Oh how young we all were once.

Ken

[Coupe]

Otto, It's a '49 Olds 98, same C body as the '49 Cadillac.

[DinoBob]

Proud to say I took my test in my mother's 1979 Coupe DeVille, in 1985. For some reason, my parents decided I should take the test in this car though I had never driven it before (and was never allowed to drive it again, until about three years ago, when my dad softened a bit - I guess when I was 37 he decided I could be trusted). Mom still has the car, bought brand new in April 1979.

[Misfit]

Mine was in a 1973 Forest Green Chrysler New Yorker, in June of 1974.

That was a monster for a 16 year old kid. But I had been driving it since I got my learners permit. I got to go for my first ride and try that 440-4 out. Cooooooooool !!!!!!   

MisFit

[jagbuxx #12944]

1971 Buick Electra 225 Limited Coupe in May 1975.
This was my own car that I purchased in Nov '74 and I had been driving with my learners permit.
My parents used to borrow my car to go out to dinner!

[Otto Skorzeny]

That's funny.

My mom used to borrow my '72 Monte Carlo to drive to work in the '90s because I couldn't keep more than one car at my apartment. I wanted the battery to stay charged up and keep everything in good order.

She loved that car; bright yellow paint, glass packs, wide white letter tires on Chevy Rallye wheels, bucket seats. She taught high school and the students went nuts over Mrs. Ward's hot rod!

[Ted in Olympia WA]

I remember it was on my 16th birthday 8/23/76, I remember where, but for the life of me I cannot  remember the car?  My dad did bodywork for a living and we always had lots of cars around and it must have been one that was running at the time.

I had two first cars.  I had a 1966 Dodge Dart Convertible that my dad took in on trade with a busted left rear quarter panel.  And also my dad and I fixed up a 1941 Ford Pick-up.  Never did get the Ford all done, just had mud flaps on the rear.  I found a couple of old pictures.

TED