I agree that the Lady is extremely enthusiastic regarding her 500, but the person who sold her the car and advised her that you should only change gear very slowly is taking a load of rot! You do not have to change gear any slower in a 500 than any other car. One of the beauties of the 500s pedal layout is that you can "heel-and-toe" very rapidly, and in fact, if you get it right, you can change gear, both up AND down without the use of the clutch, and silently---(a) I had to drive across part of London (in my 'yoof') without using the clutch except in an emergency and at lights/junctions--the prize was a pint of beer, which tasted very good! and, (b) the clutch cable snapped as I was about to pull away from my girlfriends house to drive home (and yes, she still married me). With no synchro to hold the gears in engagement, it is easier to drive the 500 without clutch operation than it is the 126. However, I have always advocated that 1st gear is ONLY selected when the vehicle is stationary, be it a 500 gearbox or a 126 gearbox.