![]() ![]() While “three-on-the-tree” column shifters have been out of fashion long enough to be a curiosity now, they are not rare or unique enough to inspire much interest when seen on the types of classic cars that were typically fitted with them new. Odds are if you were born before 1960, you’ve also experienced plenty of manual gear shift levers mounted on steering columns as well. Likewise, you’ll find the automatic trans gear shift lever on any full-size American car from the 1970s or 80s right where you’d expect it to be – on the steering column. You can hop right into any car through the late 1920s, and the manual shift lever is right there protruding two feet high from the floor. Steering column-mounted manual and automatic shifters were the norm yesterday, floor-mounted manual and automatic gear shift levers are the norm today, and paddle shift levers are becoming the norm of tomorrow. When you consider the list of what we consider normal, it really is a short one. Because there haven’t been more than a handful of gear shift designs that met with mainstream acceptance since the the late 1800s, we decided to look at some of the ones that didn’t catch on – the alternative style gear shifters. We see automotive gear shift levers as one of the most tactile things that can improve the experience of driving an automobile, given a well-executed design. An alternative need not be a close substitute for the first choice (or other alternatives), but it must present a solution nevertheless.” The American Business Dictionary defines the word alternative as “One of two or more ways of achieving the same desired end or goal. Because the pushbuttons were mounted in a fixed center pod that did not rotate with the wheel, controls proved mostly reliable. ![]() The initial 1958 model year of the Edsel brand debuted with much fanfare about the “Teletouch” gear selector. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |