No matter how long ago it happened we all remember taking our license exam, passing, and then driving off on our own for the first time. It is one of the monumental days in the life of every gearhead and those memories stick with us for the long run. My license test was a bit of an adventure. Regulations in Massachusetts at the time stated that the test car had to have either (a) a center mounted hand brake that the state tooper who took you on the test drive could yank to stop the car, or the trooper needed clear and free access to the brake pedal to stop the car if necessary. On the day of my test, I cruised over to the DMV in my sweet Monte Carlo, all polished up and ready to roll. The trooper hopped in, buckled her belt, and then promptly got out, said she couldn’t reach the brake and I would have to rebook and come back.
I was stunned and filled with sadness and rage like I have scarcely known since.
The next hurdle was finding a car I could actually use. No one in my family had a car with a center emergency brake. My dad and I looked at my grandmother’s Buick Century which was similar to the one shown above and below. There was a very minimal hump as the car was front wheel drive and his foot made it across to the brake pedal unimpeded. I rebooked the test, showed up, had a different officer, went out and aced the exam. So I got my license in a (literal) old lady’s car. No shame in that game! I went straight home, hopped into said Monte Carlo and was doing burnouts mere minutes later….or I wasn’t (mom and dad read BangShift).
So….that’s my story! What’s yours?
BangShift Question Of The Day: What Car Did You Take Your Driver’s License Test In?
I took it in my Dads 89 Shelby Daytona and purchased my Barracuda a month or two later, but It wasn’t road worthy for many months after that.
I did take my drivers ed class in a very similar car to the picture, the school had a fleet of them.
My Mom’s 3 year old ’67 440 Plymouth GTX!
No GTX or Shelby product for me, I took mine in a ’79 Lincoln Town Car. You know, the big four door land going aircraft carrier. Made a lap around town, parallel parked and then maneuvered into position for a local traffic helicopter to land on the trunk lid.
An ’81 Dodge Colt, with the weird twin stick transmission. Made it easier to ace the parallel parking test.
My Dad’s new 79 GMC 3/4 pickup. I still own it.
Honda Accord. Hopefully my last time behind the wheel of any Honda product
1975 Ford Club Wagon Chateau (Econoline with windows and seating for 12) the family car for a family with 6 kids before there were full size SUV’s. Yes, the officer made me parallel park it and yes, I nailed it!
I think everyone should have to parallel park a 12 passenger or larger van before they get a license.
Mom’s ’80 Eldorado. My test was so anti-climatic. Dad picked me up from school, which he never did even though he was retired at the time. We drove over to the court house. The driving test consisted of us driving into downtown Papillion going around the block, parallel parking, then driving back. It was over so quick that my dad thought I failed. The tester said, “Nope, just missed one point. Congratulations”. He was stunned. I don’t know why. I spent the previous year driving any time I was in a car. We drove to Virginia and DC and back the day after driver’s ed was over.
’73 Plymouth Duster 318, 3 speed manual in the floor with glass packs. The trooper asked me if it had legal exhaust when I fired it up. I think the trooper got a little nervous. But I passed and the rest is history.
65 Olds 442 .. …. mine …. that my uncles and I had just finished building that year [ 1972 ] . Let me tell you the minute the ‘ Tester ‘ heard that exhaust note his pad was out .. pencil ready and just waiting [ and hoping no doubt ] to knock me down and fail me . But …. I kept my cool … and passed with flying colors .
A 74 Chevy El Camino that was my Dad’s daily, but was mine once I got my License and of course he got himself a brand new truck..no trauma in taking the test like Brian’s story. Shortly thereafter was cruising on my own….
’78 VW Rabbit, at least it was a stick.
I took mine in a 1977 Rabbit and it was a stick too.
1966 Ford Cortina station wagon, 4-speed. Got 1-point deducted for not slowing down enough at an un-controled residential intersection.
455 cid Oldsmobile Rocket, Rocket, ROCK IT!
Me too. 1973 Olds 98 Regency four door. 3 tons o’fun. Ohio had just changed over from parallel parking to the maneuverability test. Funny but I’ve never had to maneuver around cones on a public road since. I did have to figure out parallel parking by doing for the first time ever downtown with plenty of traffic and cars bounding either end of the space.
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I wonder if Brian’s state troopers honestly believed they had a shot of stopping the car with the hand brake?
I had to maneuver around traffic cones yesterday (in a 7,000-lb pickup, no less) . . . .
69 Plymouth Fury coupe, 383 torqueflite.
1st try – Mom’s 79 Impala
2nd try – Neighbor’s new 82 Z28.
3rd try – Neighbor’s 80 Chevette (he owned a car lot and I had trouble backing through a gauntlet of cones.)
1978 Malibu Classic station wagon, because the 70 Chevelle convertible my brother bought new had manual steering(and manual brakes and a 6 cylinder).
1969 Plymouth Belvedere wagon. 318-manual steering-manual drum brakes. Picture parallel park that boat!
Drivers ed in high school, brand new ’77 Impala. Had the extra brake pedal for the teacher too!
Took my test in my mom’s 1970 Nova. There was a snowstorm that day, and I was the first and after a few minutes last test of the day after going from one BMV parking lot entrance to the other and told to park. The officer sign off on me and went into the office and cancelled the road tests for the rest of the day.
A fully-loaded 1966 Dodge Coronet 500 SE. It was the only new car my Dad ever bought. Light metallic blue with beautifully upholstered cloth seats. Unfortunately it was a lame 4-door, but it was a good-looking 4-door Dodge.
61 impala convertible. With the top down…for parallel parking. 1977.
Mom’s 95 Monte Carlo Z34. Adjusted the rh power mirror to ease parallel parking and the test went fine.
I am jelous that Brian’s first car Monte would do a burnout. My 84 Monte first ride had lame gears and would only break loose in reverse with the air shocks inflated.
i took my test in a 1988 Pontiac Grand Am
I took mine in my first car…A 1968 Barracuda 2 dr coupe/V8 !
’74 Dodge Dart Swinger…
The family’s 1970 Plymouth Fury III, that was soon to be my car. Driver’s ED was interesting though, we had a 1978? Buick LeSabre with a 3.8 turbo.
55′ chevy-Bel-Air–dad’s car soon to be mine, so he could drive his 58 Impala
My 2 week new to me 1967 Mustang,on my 16th Birthday. Dad drove it to work,got off early (something he never did) and I drove it to the DMV office in Thousand Oaks. Did my test and “peeled” out of the parking lot. It didn’t “burn out” yet. Less than a month later the auto was out and a 4 spd in…..and it began.
’98 Dodge Intrepid, because my grandfather thought my ’87 Monte SS was a little too loud and brash and might sway the DMV official’s decision.
1954 FJ Holden
’67 Chrysler Newport 4door
A 1975 Ford Gran Torino 2 door with a 351W and FMX.
I took mine in a custom 1954 Dodge pickup truck, small block chevy dual quads , and a 2 speed power glide behind it.
Lots of go Not so much stop!
1969. Mom’s ’63 Polaris wagon, 318 typewriter. I aced the test and 6 hours later she told me I’d been seen doing burnouts and driving 80 mph through the country backroads (she was right). I don’t recall being too badly jacked up over it, cause 2 weeks later I bought my ’62 2 door Impala 327 powerglide and was doing it again.
78 VW Rabbit diesel. No problem on the parallel parking. I belive my score was 94. I missed points for poorly backing around a corner.
My Mom’s ’61 Chevy Parkwood Wagon. It was during a snow storm. 🙂
My parent’s 1980 Toyota Corona station wagon. It was easier than my 68 Camaro which had a 3 spd stick.
THAT’S NOT A CAR LOL
69 Ford LTD 4 door.
My dads midnight blue 55 chevy 2dr. stick.
1967 ford F-250 with no power steering and bias ply tires. Back in the days when you still had to parallel park on a public road, not between orange cones in a parking lot.
I REMEMBER THOSE DAYS TRY DOING IN A 59 CADDIE FUN TIME
1976 Caprice 2 door convertible that belonged to my auto shop instructor.
I took mine in 1957 in my Dad’s ’51 Merc. so I could drive my ’40 Ford legally.
1983 chevy caprice wagon.. nothing like a tank to do a three point turn in..
1986 Ford Aerostar…V-6, 5-Speed. Two-tone blue. Likely the only Aerostar that ever pulled an 24 foot enclosed trailer with a Super Comp car inside.
Mom’s 1970 Cutlass in 1976. Passed first try.
Dads new 68 Torino GT hardtop,wimbelton white,black roof
1977 Ford Courier.First time I went it was raining and they would not let me drive. Two days later I was on the road.
I took mine in a 1962 Impala 2Dr. My moms Caddi was in the shop and she had a Hertz rental. It was a 283 powerglide with a bench seat. I don’t remember if I tried to do a burnout.
75 Pinto. Go ahead and laugh now.
1969 Toronado, damn that hood was long
My mothers brand new ’79 T-bird. Driver’s ed was in a ’79 Pinto hatchback.
1983 in my Mothers 1978 Pontiac Trans Am.
Evil StepMonster did her best to sabotage my test…..having me take “the test” in the family truckster…..a 1976 Ford LTD Country Squire station wagon…..the name is damn near as long as the wagon…… Just to spite the ol’ bag, I aced it…… and that spite has been the driving force behind a good many more accomplishment over the years
I took my drivers test in 1979 in my mother’s 1978 Mercury Zephyr. Cool car. To me me it always had potential street cred due to Bob Glidden’s Pro Stock Fairmont.
My moms 79 chevette. I always wanted to drop a small block in it.
1959 CADDIE FLEET-WOOD 4 Dr BACK IN 1960 OUT IN CAL .
I WAS 14 AT THE TIME
P.S. WHEN I GOT BACK TO Pa THAT FALL I HAD MY 57 CHEVY BELL AIR 2 Dr Ht WITH F/I UNDER THE HOOD KING OF THE HILL