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Proudly sporting a driver’s license at age 15, I learned to drive under my mother’s tutelage. Our family had a VW Bug, so my lessons were with a stick shift. Mastering the clutch without killing the engine was the sign of success.
When my sons learned to drive, manual was out of vogue for young drivers. Meric’s minimal stick shift skills were put to the test this summer in Portugal, where our rented van was “6 on the floor.” Except for the elusive reverse, Meric caught on readily and by the trip’s end, he had mastered shifting – even on roundabouts.
– Betsie Gambel, Founder, Gambel Communications