>> > Once when I was trying to teach my wife to drive (failed) I was sitting 
>> > in the
>> > passenger's seat and tried to change gear for her. Using my right hand 
>> > I
>> > snapped the gear stick off at the base then had to drive home in 
>> > second. Last
>> > time I'll do it, last time she'd let me.
>>
>> Ouch... I didn't think that was possible, unless the gear selector was
>> either rusted through or made of cheap plastic....
>>
>
> It was an old car (a Hillman Imp IIRC) and it was the last drive it ever 
> took.
> The sheared end looked like cast aluminium, again IIRC. It did come as a
> surprise to me when it broke a good job we were not on a public road.

When I was young my parents had a Hillman, the lug bolts holding
the wheels on tended to snap off in a similar manner. I think it was
low quality pot-metal iron instead of steel. I bet the shifter was the
same pot-metal.

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