Are Our Stickshift beetles really considered as Automatic by Law???

[68autobug]

My Wife gave Her workmate a lift while driving My Beetle yesterday
and mentioned that Her Son was going for His driving Test..
He really needed to get a license to drive a manual car
so he could drive a vehicle at work...

but as He was getting His licence in an Automatic car,  He can only drive an automatic car...

thats in this state - not sure in other parts of the country...

Now - If Someone did their driving test in an Autostick Beetle....

would they get a manual license -

or an automatic licence...

When i was getting tires fitted to My beetle early in the year
the young fellow who was going to drive My car up on the ramps
took one look at the gearlever --- " I can only drive automatics "  He said..
I said this an automatic - but the gearshifter didn't look like an automatic...
so off He went.... 

anyone else have funny laws???

Lee

[johnr]

It's a stick shift if you say it is!  Don't volunteer any info otherwise!   

[Bookwus]

Hiya John,

I think you're too used to living in the States and Oregon in particular.

Overseas vehicle inspections are rigorous and pretty much all inclusive.  Licensing authorities in countries other than the USA are likely to know to know more about your vehicle that you may. 

Here in Oregon there is no legal distinction made between an automatic and a manual transmission for any reason that I know of.  Would it have an effect on insurance rates?

[68autobug]

I'm not sure Mike on the insurance..
I do believe that its listed on the insurance form in this state whether the car is manual
or automatic...

I knew that many years ago, Lecenses were stamped AUTOMATIC ONLY

but I thought that over the years it may have been dropped..

but its still here in New south wales

not sure in other states - will have to find out...

Our cars are inspected every year by a licenced mechanic Inspection station..
New cars are exempt for the first 3 years [i think 3]

in some of the other states - cars are NOT inspected annually
but can be pulled up at any time on public roads and their car checked over
by a licenced Mechanic Inspector working for the state..
and from all accounts - they are very severe - they can cancel the cars registration
Fine the Owner-driver and confiscate the number plates - and the driver must find
another way home etc....

[Now whether cars in these non inspected states - are actually in worse shape than the
annual checked cars... I don't know.....]
Many Years ago... cars in these non inspected states used to have rust holes in the doors etc
where We couldn;t have...  and it was a common saying - don;'t buy a used car from that state...  lol

but Rust isn't a major problem now - that cars are dipped in paint-primer before being painted in the factory
and it is allowable to have small rust holes in the doors etc...

Lee

[Bookwus]

Hiya Lee,

I'm not sure just what the requirements are for licensing a car in the State of Oregon are these days.  It used to be four fenders and a windshield, but I'm guessing that they've added to the short list.  In any event, one can put a vehicle on the road here in the States that wouldn't even come close to passing one of your annual inspections.