My first car was an old Toyota Tercel. The boxy little wagon was four-wheel drive, gold, and after an accident, had one silver door from the junk yard. But best of all it was a stick. My father taught me to drive on the winding paths of a cemetery where I blew out my first tire. I loved driving up Cincinnati's hills.
My last stick was a 1986 Saab 900 Turbo. It was a luxury car in its day. My great aunt purchased it off of a D.C. diplomat. But by the time my son was born the air conditioning had ceased operating, and it smelled like leaky gas. My husband pried it out of my hands, and we sold it for $1,000. I didn't realize at time how hard it would be to get back behind the wheel of a stick.
For manual enthusiasts the figures are grim. Less than 1% of new vehicles made for the U.S. market are stick shifts. So, if you are in the market for a stick shift your options may be limited to high-end sports cars and a dwindling stock of used vehicles.
On Cincinnati Edition, we discuss what is driving the death of the manual transmission, the allure of the stick and the best strategy for owning and maintaining one.
Guests:
- Todd Frankel, staff writer, The Washington Post
- Mike Monnig, co-owner, Whitie's Car Care
- Giuseppe Frustaci, founder, Stick Shift Driving Academy
Beginning at noon, call 513-419-7100 or email talk@wvxu.org to have your voice heard on this topic. You can catch a recorded replay at 8 p.m.
Here are some of the comments from today's listeners:
Laruen - Have driven stick since I was 20. Now in my early 60's gotta say I feel like I have better control over the car. It keeps me more attentive to all that is happening on the road than if I was driving an automatic. Also, it's SO FUN. Currently I drive a Volvo C30 (6 speed) and often folks stop me asking about the car and if I like driving a stick and if it's easy, etc etc. All I can say is go do it! Be one with car! Thanks for a great show.
Steve - First car ’61 Mercedes 220SE. Four speed stick….on the steering column. Learned to use the manual shift on the way home from buying it. Decades have passed. It’s like riding a bicycle. It never leaves you.
Richard - I look forward to tuning in to today’s Cincinnati Edition - for this is a subject that is “near and dear to my heart” (and right hand!).
I bought my first car in the summer prior to my sophomore year in college - a 1963 sky-blue Sunbeam Alpine. How could I resist? Of course, being a callow youth with more desire than wisdom, I had little idea of what I was getting into.
My current car is a 2015 Mazda 3 Touring Sedan, which I purchased in 2018, with 18,000 miles on the ODO. It is “Soul Red,” the only color I considered - with a 6-speed manual transmission - and the joy of “rowing through the gears” never goes away. It just turned over 60,000 miles last week - and I look forward to the next 60,000 or more.
Bettina - I learned how to drive a stick shift when I was 16 years old because the car I could afford, a 1978 Chevy Monza was a stick shift. It was tough at the time but I’m so glad to have this practical knowledge that many do not. I’m now 57 and still drive a stick shift 2013 Mazda 3 and have never owned a non-manual vehicle. I’m worried that I will not be able to purchase a manual transmission for my next car due to lack of availability, sadness!
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