The MOST fun car I've ever had is my current BMW 325Ci ragtop - automatic, with the optional 'manual shift' capability - you actually move the shift lever, but there is no clutch involved ...

BUT to the opposite end of the spectrum, when I was 18 yrs old, my father had a '53 Packard Clipper Special
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1953-1956-packard-clipper2.htm
(ain't the internet great ?!?)
It was a TANK, but as I recall it had a straight 8 engine with a standard three on the column ... it took a second or two to get it rolling from a dead stop, but when it did - WATCH OUT - surprised quite a few young drivers in their hopped up Chevys and Fords ...
t.