My mom was born in 1910, so of course she grew up without automatic transmissions. When I was a kid, we always had manual trans cars and both mom and dad drove them. I learned in a '55 Stude 3-speed. In 1957, my dad bought a brand new '57 Stude Golden Hawk, blown 289 automatic. The first automatic he or mom had ever driven. He took her out to the country to learn to drive the auto. She came up to a 4-way stop and used her left foot to jam in the clutch. Problem was, there was no clutch and she jammed on the power brakes. Well, you'd have to know my mom, but she could put a sailor to shame with her mouth. Madder than a wet hen, she got out and changed places with dad, never again to drive an automatic. She was still driving at 86years old, a 4-speed Chevette.