Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Who decided ... ?

Howard ... if you hold the boat wheel at the bottom all resolves itself! 🙂

K

I was told this was indicative of cars bound primarily for the US market. Many US cars had right side column shifts for their autos and manuals when column shifters were a thing.
I have had a couple with the same position of the auto stick, right of wheel. I actually found it really nice once used to it.

It did not help that Maria's Mini had a BMW format auto box so if I went for manual control it was as mentioned above back to front. If you wanted to use the paddles left was (from poor memory) up and right down, where the other car push and pull the paddles.

The current Merc E series auto has this stupid little nub instead of a lever, daft.

It is definitely an area for improvement if not standardisation in full.

Yes, our diesel family estate car has, believe it or not, flappy paddles and a sports setting. Wo on Gods earth gets a Merc estate to thrash?

errrr. Me.
S212 E63s estate.
Does everything in one car.

I actually wanted an auto with flappy padles for our new (yet to be delivered) Caddy 😃 , but, a) it was vetoed by who has never driven an auto, and b) auto is not available with the 4 wheel drive version.

What we do get is a 6 speed box with the horrible VW shift pattern.


6RUL

Whoever thought it was a great idea to put reverse next to first? It is too easy, at a quick glance to think it is in first, or in a hurried shift push it into reverse rather than first. The possible result can easily be immagined.

The three alternatives of 6RDL, and better still, 6RUR or 6RDR would be much better.

I have the opposite problem - my Morgan 4/4 Type 9 box is RUL and never had an issue - it's a very positive gear action and you know if it's in or not. However the MGB is a RDL and I'm either trying to put it in a RUL position, or getting 2nd gear.....

Our old Series III Land-Rover was RUL and had a very weak spring to prevent accidental engagement of reverse. It caused a couple of thought provoking moments.

The 5-speed gate on the Ferrari 246 could be intimidating.



I did once drive a car that my passenger put into reverse while going forwards at 30mph. Fortunately not a Ferrari, but not something I'd want to experience again.

I once read a story about someone driving a Volvo in outback Australia who entered a narrow causeway before realising that a road train was coming towards him at a sustained 60 mph. He managed to get the Volvo into reverse at about 30 mph and shot backwards off the causeway in a cloud of tyre smoke to finish in a ditch.

The 2CV gear change pattern is even more interesting


The design memo for the car required a three-speed gearbox. However, Walter Becchia, the engine and gearbox designer, added a fourth gear hidden as an overdrive gear (vitesse de surmultipliée) signified with a S.

Harald