--- title: "This 1950s Driving Sim Can’t Run Gran Turismo, But It Can Help Get Your License" date: "2025-05-19" modified: "2025-05-19" authors: - name: "Beverly Braga" job_title: "Weekend Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/beverly-braga" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-1950s-driving-sim-cant-run-gran-turismo-but-it-can-help-get-your-license" categories: - "Culture" - "History" - "News" --- # This 1950s Driving Sim Can’t Run Gran Turismo, But It Can Help Get Your License ![Drivotrainer]() *\Keystone Features/Getty Images\* Leave it to an insurance company to encourage [driver's education]() by creating, of all things, a [driving simulator](). With the assistance of Singer (yes, the sewing machine company), Aetna Insurance developed the Drivotrainer, an analog "dummy car" that was installed in driver training classrooms in high schools and elsewhere. The Drivotrainer was unique in that the machines, in essence, created a standardized method for driver's ed, but in a classroom environment. Rather than battling fear and frustration in the high school parking lot or local streets, such manifestations were relegated to their [personal driving sim](). The students learned in the peaceful confines of the indoors. According to [*Silodrome*](), each Drivotrainer featured the controls found in a real car at the time. This included a functional steering wheel, a turn signal lever, a dashboard with indicator lights and gauges, a gear shifter, and, of course, three pedals. This was the '50s. If you couldn't figure out a clutch, you weren't getting a driver's license. Hashtag as it should be. The controls were not just for show or situational familiarity, either. The single-seat rides, also referred to as "Aetnacars," provided legitimate feedback to the [student driver](). Periscope Film, which owns [archival video footage](), writes that the engine noise changed based on the throttle while the steering wheel, clutch, and brake simulated realistic resistance. Oh, and apparently the seat bounced around, too, for that 4D driving experience. If that wasn't fun enough, a large screen at the front of the classroom played a pre-recorded film that showed different driving scenarios, much like the [cockpit-view Nürburgring videos]() we can't not watch. The complete Drivotrainer course included 22 training films, each one synchronized with the student simulators and the instructor's central console. ![The Aetna Casualty and Insurance Company are sponsoring the use of driving simulation machines at driving schools in a bid to lower the amount of road accidents connected with learner drivers. The 'Drivotrainer' machines are geared to familiarise trainees with dangerous situations. (Photo by Orlando/Getty Images)]() *The Aetna Casualty and Insurance Company are sponsoring the use of driving simulation machines at driving schools in a bid to lower the amount of road accidents connected with learner drivers. The 'Drivotrainer' machines are geared to familiarise trainees with dangerous situations. (Photo by Orlando/Getty Images) Orlando* The student drivers' responses were monitored and recorded in real time, so, like driving in the real world, it's in your favor to pay attention. The final exam was passing an all-encompassing 25-minute road test (on film) that included everyday driving situations and emergencies. A standard Drivotrainer classroom contained 15 Aetnacars. One of the first such classes was installed at the Brooklyn High School for Automotive Trades in 1953, says the [Brooklyn Public Library](). But other schools across the country also welcomed the Drivotrainer. An [archived newsreel]() lists them as William Cullen Bryant High School (Queens, New York), Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa), and Hollywood High School (California). Similar simulators made their way across the globe. *Silodrome* highlights [one from Italy]() that resembles the Aetna model but with a [gated shifter](). Other regions adjusted their versions accordingly. For example, [*Hagerty*]() reports that the U.K. reconfigured their simulators to right-hand-drive. Although production was discontinued sometime in the late '70s, the Aetna driving simulators continued to be used well into the 1980s. But, just like driver's education courses as a whole, these Aetnacars are a thing of the past. Still, if you're vintage curious, there's one on [eBay]() for a hundred bucks. You'll probably have to make your own engine noises, though. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Born and raised in Hawaii, Beverly has been a prolific and published creative writer since her teens. As a contributor to The Drive, Beverly covers the weekend shift, blogging about all things automotive, mobility, transportation, and topics in-between. Currently a digital nomad, Beverly's only constant is her car, a second-generation Mazdaspeed3. Even though she's never in one place for too long, her hot hatch always feels like home. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()