Automatic Shifter On The Column?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Stephen Palkwoetz
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Stephen Palkwoetz

My dear old Mom needs to replace her 83 K-car. The early/mid 1990
Volvo's look to be about the same size and shape of her K-car. Need
to know if Volvo's offered a column mounted automatic transmission
shifter in any of the 1990 to 1996 models. If so, what models? A
quick check on E-bay shows only floor mounted shifters.

Don't know that much about Volvo's other than they are a quality car.
Can any of the experts here help me out.

Thank you.
 
No they didn't.... Column shifters seem to be pretty much an American car
thing.

I'm pretty sure your mother could figure out a floor mounted shifter, I find
them much more user friendly then column shifters... Tho she might engage
the wipers a few dozen times the first month while trying to back out of the
driveway.
 
No they didn't.... Column shifters seem to be pretty much an American car
thing.
Click to expand...

Actually, several English cars from the '40s and '50s still had
column shifters (for manual transmissions). Also, some Italian
Fiats in the '50s and '60s had column shifters, also for manual
transmissions. We still had these in Rhodesia in early '70s.

Then there was the French 2CV -- that had a weird dash mounted
shifter, but by Jim -- that car had a simple engine to work on!

Beverly
 
Actually, several English cars from the '40s and '50s still had
column shifters (for manual transmissions).
Click to expand...

Indeed so, in fact right up into the 60s and later. And not just for
manual transmissions, but autos too. Not sure what the latest
generation of Rolls Royce have, but they always seemed to favour the
column shifter.

I could never really see the point of a column shift, particularly
with a manual gearbox. The few occasions I've driven one, I certainly
never found them easier to use, and the linkage must have been a
bugger to design, especially accounting for differences in LHD and
RHD.
Also, some Italian
Fiats in the '50s and '60s had column shifters, also for manual
transmissions. We still had these in Rhodesia in early '70s.

Then there was the French 2CV -- that had a weird dash mounted
shifter, but by Jim -- that car had a simple engine to work on!
Click to expand...

The Renault 4, et al, were like that, too. IIRC it was because the
gearbox was mounted in front of the engine.
--

Stewart Hargrave


For email, replace 'SpamOnlyToHere' with my name
 
A 3 speed manual on the column were a hoot to drive. Back in my high-school
days (71-75) a buddy had a 55 Ford with one we go whooping down dirt roads on.
Then a girlfriend had a Ford Falcon with it and a 289 V-8. That car flew, hid
second gear and give it gas.

Any way, thanks for getting back to me on this. Will keep looking for her.

Thanks.
 
My dear old Mom needs to replace her 83 K-car. The early/mid 1990
Volvo's look to be about the same size and shape of her K-car. Need
to know if Volvo's offered a column mounted automatic transmission
shifter in any of the 1990 to 1996 models. If so, what models? A
quick check on E-bay shows only floor mounted shifters.

Don't know that much about Volvo's other than they are a quality car.
Can any of the experts here help me out.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

With tongue in cheek, 60's 120 series Volvo's with automatics did have
the gear shift on the steering coulmn.

Joe
 
Stewart Hargrave said:
I could never really see the point of a column shift, particularly
with a manual gearbox. The few occasions I've driven one, I certainly
never found them easier to use, and the linkage must have been a
bugger to design, especially accounting for differences in LHD and
RHD.
Click to expand...

The obvious advantage, at least in larger vehicles, is that it allows
more comfortable three-abreast seating on bench seats.

Chip C
 
With tongue in cheek, 60's 120 series Volvo's with automatics did have
the gear shift on the steering coulmn.

Joe
Click to expand...

My father's 1966 Ford Corsair had a column shift and a bench seat in the
front. I could take my girl out sitting thigh to thigh - nearly as good as
a fumble.
 
I could never really see the point of a column shift, particularly
with a manual gearbox. The few occasions I've driven one, I certainly
never found them easier to use, and the linkage must have been a
bugger to design, especially accounting for differences in LHD and
RHD.
Click to expand...


Never really thought of that, though as complex as the linkage must have
been, that was one of the few things that *didn't* ever break on my friend's
Ford.
 
Stewart Hargrave said:
I could never really see the point of a column shift, particularly
with a manual gearbox. The few occasions I've driven one, I certainly
never found them easier to use, and the linkage must have been a
bugger to design, especially accounting for differences in LHD and
RHD.
Click to expand...
My guess is that it was to make room for a center passenger in front.

Mike
 
My guess is that it was to make room for a center passenger in front.
Click to expand...

Yep; as others have mentioned, too. Thinking about it, all the column
shift cars I have know in the UK had bench seats at the front, so
theoretically three people could sit in the front. Much easier in the
US, where the cars are at least five times as wide as our modest ones.

Either that, or it seems they were intended for two people to sit
close enough for thigh contact. But I had a sheltered upbringing, and
think that would make gear selection very difficult to concentrate on,
wherever the lever was.
--

Stewart Hargrave


For email, replace 'SpamOnlyToHere' with my name
 
Stewart Hargrave said:
Yep; as others have mentioned, too. Thinking about it, all the column
shift cars I have know in the UK had bench seats at the front, so
theoretically three people could sit in the front. Much easier in the
US, where the cars are at least five times as wide as our modest ones.
Click to expand...

Stewart, you are such an exaggerator! UK cars are about 200 cm wide, US cars
are about 200 inches wide. Just about the same, really!

Mike
 
Stewart, you are such an exaggerator! UK cars are about 200 cm wide, US cars
are about 200 inches wide. Just about the same, really!
Click to expand...

I would never exaggerate anything in a million years.

Actually, browsing through the conversion menus of Calc98, there seem
to be several things where the same unit represents different
quantities in the US and UK. Not just the gallon, but nautical miles,
therms, drams, firkins and shipping tons, to name some. Plus, of
course, the standard unit of car width.
--

Stewart Hargrave


For email, replace 'SpamOnlyToHere' with my name
 
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