Driving Test

[53starliner]

I was just thinking...I wonder how many young folks have taken their driving test in a Studebaker in recent years. This pic is of my grandson Caleb having just returned form his road test in 2012 in my '62 Lark VIII convertible. It's a 259 3 spd w/OD. He took the test at the DMV in Tamworth, NH. I was watching all the others leave and return after 20 minutes or so. Caleb was back in 10 minutes. I thought...Oh, no, he must have really messed up. No, turns out, as they were driving south on Rt 16, he told the officer that "if you want me to parallel park, I can do it but it might take a bit longer than normal because the car has manual steering and a bunch of turns lock-to-lock". The officer tells him to turn into a convenience store and pull into a spot. Back out and proceed north. He then tells Caleb "if you can drive this thing with a stick shift, manual steering and brakes, as well as you did, I trust you can parallel park". When the officer got out of the car, he came over to me and raved about the car and said it made his day.

He was the second generation to take his test in a Stude. His mother took hers in my '63 Lark 2 dr. I wish I could say I took mine in a Stude, but I can't. Mine was in a '61 International Travelall 3-spd on the floor, manual steering and brakes. I did have to parallel park!

[FlatheadGeo]

Great story!!!

[VtMike]

Took my driver's test in 1965 - in a 1960 Lark, 4 dr, automatic, medium green. Really liked that car . . .

[Chris Pile]

Big thumbs up from me for you, your Lark, and Caleb. Glad the cop had a good time, too.

[Commander Eddie]

Love it. The tester obviously had a good time. I took my test in a 1955 Commander Starlite Coupe, and I had to parallel park too. And great job, Caleb!

[Noxnabaker]

Gold!
(I can't even remember what boring car I went in, probably some VW Golf or such)

[Dave Bates]

Great story!

[studeclunker]

Well... I took a driver's test in my Grandmother's '62 Studebaker wagon. However it was for a one year conditional permit, not a regular Driver's License. My test for a full driver's license was in a '59 Rambler Custom sedan.

[raprice]

I took my driving test in 1954 in my Dad's 1950 Nash Ambassador Custom. I shocked myself when I did a perfect parallel park with it. Rear visibility was almost non existant and the car didn't have power steering. That said, I loved that car. What a beautiful ride. By the way, I did pass my test.
Rog

[bert53]

Hope you don't kick me out of the club, but I took mine in my 49 Willys Jeepster in 1969. I still have it.

[Hallabutt]

My 1953 htp in 1961.

[t walgamuth]

61 lancer wagon. slushox.

[tsenecal]

It's cool that your grandson can even drive an older car with a three speed column shift, manual steering, and brakes. He must be comfortable with an older vehicle, as he passed his test without a problem. I hope that my grandchildren take the same interest in my classic cars.

[BobWaitz]

Wow! Great job!

I took my motorcycle license test on a '72 Norton 750 Combat Commando. I took my driver's test in a '73 Caprice Estate Wagon. I nailed the parallel parking with one of the longest cars you could have back then. I really like the backup camera on my modern pickup. Would have been nice on the Caprice.

[GrumpyOne]

1940 Chevrolet DeLuxe two door sedan with that crazy vacuum shift after market POS and built in suicide spinner on the steering wheel. Passed the test easily but I hated the car...