[jacquesm]

I had a classic, DS 21 with a semiautomatic gear box and a bunch of non-standard controls. I'd get a lot of requests from people that wanted to take it for a spin and I always handed them the keys with confidence: "If you can get it started you're allowed to drive it". Nobody ever managed. The reason was that the gear shift lever was used as a very clever lock-out to the starter motor, you started the engine with the gearshift lever in neutral, then moved it to a special position that engaged the starter motor. The key only enabled the contact, not the starter. This was to avoid having the car take off immediately after starting the engine. It also served as a very effective deterrent for wanna-be joy riders.

[mr_toad]

> This was to avoid having the car take off immediately after starting the engine.

I think modern cars have taken all the ‘fun’ out of learning to drive. Bunny hopping a stick shift along a parking lot used to be a rite of passage, and provided a chuckle for onlookers.