Try that with a Sprite ans it would drop gears alright -- all over the pavement. If you did manage to get it into gear, the gears would be followed by the pistons.
Sometimes I don't miss the '60s so much. My Toyota is faster, handles better, and when it rains I roll the windows up rather than stopping, extracting the side screens, frame, and top from the boot, and erecting the tent. Usually it was easier to just get wet.