I’ve owned three cars in my life. All equipped when a five-speed manual transmission.

I learned to drive on my father’s Toyota Tacoma, a “stick”, and my first car, a blue 1993 Saab 900 S with a manual five-speed, gray cloth and a (glass) moonroof. Quickly, from cars.com, A sunroof is typically a solid body-colored panel that can manually tilt up or be removed. A moonroof is a type of sunroof, except that it’s a transparent, sliding, tinted glass panel. The majority of new cars have moonroofs, as what’s technically considered a sunroof has pretty much gone out of style.

The Saab also had the old-school power locks in which upon locking the driver’s side (by inserting the key in the door and turning, remember that?), both the passenger side and hatch would also lock. You could hear the mechanical locking mechanism snap into place.

I bring this up primarily because the manual transmission is dying. Fewer and fewer cars are even offered with a manual option. Volvo does not offer a manual on any of its cars. The new BMW 3 Series only comes with an 8-speed automatic.

More and more manufacturers have embraced the CVT, (continuously variable transmission) an automatic without individual gears. Instead it gradually moves through the “gears”. I'd like to be the first to call it the trombone of transmissions. As it does not shift, it is always engaged, is more efficient and has increased gas mileage.

Others have gone to dual-clutch, (one for odd gears, one for even) autos with 7, 8, or even 10 speeds. And of course the single-gear electric motors of the future are the final death knell to the manual transmission.

My second car was a 1990 Audi Coupe Quattro. That's what it was called. Every one of them had a five-speed manual transmission. There were not many imported as I imagine it was not a big seller. It cost $36,000 in 1990 and was a two door coupe/hatchback with a five cylinder engine. It came with lots of great features like a locking rear differential, automatic climate control, beautiful thick black leather, a power old-style metal sunroof. I sold it to a suspected (by me) drug dealer for cash. It was a constant headache and needed engine work.

I traveled to Massachusetts to find my third car because it was nearly impossible to find a manual transmission in a Subaru Legacy locally. I still have my ‘06 Legacy, and even drive it from time to time. It’s been good to me, always reliable, but is definitely showing its age.

All of this to say I’m feeling nostalgic for the days when people drove cars instead of SUVs, and a manual transmission was commonplace. And of course when people knew how to drive one.

And yes, I still drive. Not as well as I used to, but still better than some. And much better than I walk.