Three-on-the-tree '56 Chevy is what I learned on. My first car! The wife learned on an old Buick Skyhawk manual trans. We taught our kids on a Mustang 5 speed. That was a bit nerve racking the first time out in traffic. Either they'd lurch out into the intersection and stall it, or they'd fly across with wheels spinning at 100 mph. Neither was terribly good for us parent's nerves. But they got it finally. The first time you're stuck in a bumper-to-bumper stop-and-go mess for an hour you'll appreciate an automatic. But out on the road away from heavy traffic a manual is a heck of a lot more fun to drive.