INDIRECT SHIFT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 134, 3 December 1938, Page 28

INDIRECT SHIFT

BUT POSITIVE ACTION

AMERICA'S NEW CARS

After remaining quietly in a threespeed, centrally-controlled condition for several years, the transmission has once again become prominent in American programmes. This is because there has been quite a landslide towards fitting the gear lever to the steering column, from which it projects horizontally and conveniently.

Whereas steering-column gear levers in England have always been associated with the control of a special form of gearbox—notably the Wilson —they are being used in America to operate orthodox synchromesh gearboxes. Two cars carried them in 1928 and now a great number of other makes have followed suit. -■

The indications are that the American motorist has taken very kindly to the slight change in operating methods necessitated by the new gear lever position. Various simple methods have been evolved for coupling the lever mechanically to the selector rods in the gearbox. It has also been found desirable to modify the synchromesh mechanism in the box in order to get a sweeter action from the remote control.

Although the number of level rail-way-crossings in the United States has been reduced by approximately 5000 during the last five years, the curve of level-crossing accidents has climbed steadily upwards during that period. In 1933 there were 3236 accidents, causing 1511 deaths and 3697 injuries, compared with 4489 accidents, causing 1875 deaths and 5136 injuries in 1937. This represented an increase of 38.7 per cent, in accidents, 24 per cent, in deaths, and 38.9 per cent, in injuries.