VIDEO: Classic-car driver training encourages teens to pilot vintage iron

Thirty lucky kids learned to drive classic cars at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Mich., on Friday in celebration of Collector Car Appreciation Day.

Hagerty Insurance partnered with local classic-car owners for the inaugural event, which aimed to foster an interest in vintage cars among young drivers and to introduce them to manual transmissions. Hagerty said today's teens rarely have access to manuals, since about 90 percent of new cars have automatic transmissions.

The participants, ages 16 to 20, were first prepped in the classroom with tips on manning a clutch in an older car. They then chose from an array of classics--ranging from a prewar Packard to a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette split-window coupe--for closed-course driving time with an instructor.

The goal? Hagerty and the enthusiasts behind the event said they hope that, by introducing young adults to antique cars and providing them the skills necessary to drive them, they'll foster interest for future generations.

AutoWeek got behind the wheel of a 1930 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan, a classic some might recognize from Jonathan Klinger's 365 Days of A blog. As a Hagerty instructor at the event, Klinger brought along the 1930 Tudor he's been driving for almost a year.

A vintage through and through, the blue beauty has mechanical brakes and no power steering--and no adjustable seats. It was enough of a challenge for your author to drive the Tudor around a closed-course track, straining to reach the start button and pedals while shifting up to third gear without back support. We give props to Klinger for navigating it as a sole means of transportation since October 2010, even during the nasty winters around Hagerty's Traverse City, Mich., headquarters.

Some of the other participants might have had smoother rides in their early Porsches and Packards. But we have no doubt it was a learning experience for all who attended.

Check out our video from the drive.

For more information on Hagerty's youth outreach programs, visit Operation Ignite.

By Michelle Koueiter