What gear must a manual transmission car be in to start?

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Starting a manual transmission car safely requires the transmission to be in neutral so the engine can turn over without engaging the drivetrain. In neutral, the gears are disengaged from the engine, so the starter motor can crank the engine without trying to move the car. If you attempted to start in a gear, the engine’s rotation would be transmitted to the wheels (the car could lurch or stall), which is unsafe and can strain the drivetrain. For most cars, you also press the clutch to the floor when starting to ensure the engine isn’t loaded by the transmission. Because of this, neutral is the correct gear to choose when starting. The other gears would connect the engine to the wheels and create movement or resistance right at startup.