A Key That No Longer Fits

Picture this: a father or grandfather hands over the keys to a beloved family car. Maybe it’s a worn but proud classic that has seen decades of care, or a rare gem from an earlier generation. The moment should be magical—passing down not just an old car or motorcycle, but a piece of history, a memory, a bond between generations where maybe both generations worked together restoring it to be roadworthy.

Now imagine the child holding the keys… and realizing they can’t drive it. Not because they don’t want to, not because the car doesn’t run—but because their license doesn’t allow it.

That’s the hidden future many of us may be facing. With the rise of automatic-only licenses (Code 78), the ability to drive a manual car is quietly disappearing. And while most people think about this in terms of convenience or regulation, there’s a much bigger story here, one that affects safety on the roads, the future of driving schools, and whether classic vehicles will one day become untouchable museum pieces.

What Code 78 Means Today

For those who aren’t familiar, code 78 is the designation added to a driver’s license if you passed your driving test in an automatic car. It means you’re not legally allowed to drive a manual.

With the EU emmission regulations for new cars, manuals are slowly dissappearing. After all, all EV’s are automatic and with all these environmental zones its a matter of time before driving schools will electrify their fleets.

On paper, you can still “flip” during your exam—drive a manual for 20 minutes to prove you’re competent—and avoid the restriction (the Netherlands), complete a 7 hours driving school course (France) or complete ≥10 lessons (45 min each) in a manual plus a 15-minute school test drive (Germany). But how long can driving schools in France and Germany offer these courses and how many students bother when the vast majority of modern cars are automatic?

At first glance, this might not seem like a big problem. If the future is electric and automatic, why cling to the past? But what about heritage?

Safety First: Why the Debate Exists

Before discussing heritage, we have to discuss safety. Driving an automatic and driving a manual are not the same thing. Anyone who has learned to drive stick knows the learning curve: balancing clutch and throttle, hill starts without rolling back, timing shifts, engine braking. It’s not just about moving the car—it’s about handling it safely in real-world traffic.

If code 78 were suddenly dropped and anyone with an automatic license could legally jump into a manual, there would be risks. Stalling in traffic, rolling back on a slope, mis-shifting into the wrong gear. These aren’t small mistakes when you’re sharing the road with others.

This is why some drivers argue that code 78 should remain. Without proper training, manuals are a safety hazard. And they’re right to be concerned.

But here’s the other side: if code 78 stays, and driving schools stop offering manual cars, then where will the next generation ever learn to drive them?

That’s the dilemma. Keep the code and manuals vanish. Drop the code and safety takes a hit.

The Driving School Dilemma

Driving schools are the foundation of this problem. Their fleets must comply with environmental rules. In cities with low-emission zones, older manual cars simply aren’t allowed anymore. So schools invest in new electric or hybrid cars instead. Which are automatic.

That means fewer manual cars for students to learn in. And when even examinators can’t handle a manual anymore it’s Game Over for manual cars. But closer ahead is the issue of costs.

Even if a small business tried to keep manuals alive, the costs would be high: maintaining a compliant manual car with instructor pedals and charging students extra for the “niche” option. At some point, it just stops being feasible.

Would a car company ever build new manual cars specifically for driving schools? Unlikely. The market is too small, and emissions regulations too strict. So:

• High costs, niche group = no incentive for schools to keep manuals
• No manuals in schools = no chance for students to learn
• No trained students = fewer people able to drive stick.

The End of a Tradition

Beyond safety and logistics, there’s something deeper at stake. Manual driving is more than just a skill—it’s part of our cultural memory. Like tape recorders for Gen-X.

Think about how many of us first learned to drive stick in a parent’s or grandparent’s car. Personally I learned driving a stick on a tractor when I was nine. Think of the nervous hill starts. The proud moment of finally nailing a smooth shift. The sense of connection when you felt the car respond to you, not just to a pedal.

Now picture a generation that never experiences this. A generation that looks at a manual gear lever with the same confusion as a rotary phone. What happens to the stories, the bonds, the traditions when the skill is gone?

For classic car owners, the pain is even sharper. What’s the point of lovingly restoring a 1960s MG, a 1970s BMW, or a wartime Dodge if your children and grandchildren can’t legally (or safely) drive them? Manual cars may survive as collector’s items—but as living, driving heritage, they could disappear.

Who Will Step In?

Some people argue that businesses will keep manuals alive. Offering specialized lessons for a higher price. And maybe they will. But will it be enough?

Driving schools operate on volume. If 95% of students want automatic-only licenses, it’s hard to justify the expense of keeping even a couple of manuals around.

Enthusiast clubs and federations might step up, organizing training programs or lobbying for heritage exemptions. But these efforts often reach only a small audience. Without institutional support, my guess is that manual driving risks fading into obscurity.

Finding a Middle Ground

So what can be done? I believe it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Maybe compromises are possible:

• Specialized endorsements: Offer a “manual endorsement” for those who want it. A short test, like in Germany or France. Although this requires the availability of manuals at driving schools.
• Voluntary training programs: Let enthusiasts, clubs work with driving schools to offer manual lessons outside the standard curriculum. Practice the stick on a circuit and when it’s managed proof it on the road with a driving instructor on the passenger’s seat.
• Policy recognition: Treat manual driving as part of cultural heritage, ensuring exams remain available for those who seek them.

These options keep safety in focus while also keeping the tradition alive.

A Personal Reflection

Classic vehicles up to the early Eighties are more than machines. They’re heritage, history, and family stories on four wheels. But the rise of automatic-only licenses threatens to break that chain in a way few people are discussing.

As a writer, enthusiast and most of all as a father this worries me. My 9-year-old son dreams of one day driving my 1943 Dodge - a car with history, character, and soul. But if driving schools no longer teach manuals by the time he’s old enough, and if regulations haven’t adapted, his dream might never be possible.

That’s the reality we’re heading toward. Not because of a ban, not because of fuel shortages, but because of silence. Because no one is talking about the future of manual driving.

If we don’t act now, the day may come when classic cars are no longer passed down through families, but locked behind museum glass. And that would be a loss not just for enthusiasts, but for everyone who believes driving is more than just transportation.