Should the Design of Automatic Transmission-Shifters in New Vehicles be Standardized?

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07-03-24, 03:18 PM

#106

mmarshall

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Toys4RJill

Do you remember STS had auto brake release in 1996?

Cadillacs (and some other American luxury cars) had that feature as far back as the early 60s...but, of course, it was a purely mechanical set-up rather than electronic like today.

07-03-24, 03:28 PM

#107

Striker223

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Quote:

Originally Posted by mmarshall

Cadillacs (and some other American luxury cars) had that feature as far back as the early 60s...but, of course, it was a purely mechanical set-up rather than electronic like today.

That's very cool, I had no idea those systems existed that far back!

07-03-24, 03:56 PM

#108

mmarshall

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Striker223

That's very cool, I had no idea those systems existed that far back!

Yes...my late father had a (used) 1962 Cadillac with that feature. The mechanical/vacuum parking-brake foot-pedal released with a loud click when the column-shift lever was moved out of Park. It also had the old PNDLR shift-quadrant before it was standardized to PRNDL several years later.

Last edited by mmarshall; 07-03-24 at 04:02 PM.

07-03-24, 07:01 PM

#109

bitkahuna

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Quote:

Originally Posted by SW17LS

Honestly I think all the variations in shifters shows us that carmakers are struggling to find ways to make cars new and different…

they'd be struggling more then if they were hamstrung by the kind of regs you want to see imposed on them.

and i don't think they're struggling at all to make cars new and different.

07-03-24, 08:06 PM

#110

Toys4RJill

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Quote:

Originally Posted by SW17LS

I vaguely remember that yeah…

yeah. My mom’s STS broke in the parking brake on position. Had to be towed as the brake would not release. Crap GM back then

07-03-24, 08:40 PM

#111

mmarshall

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Toys4RJill

yeah. My mom’s STS broke in the parking brake on position. Had to be towed as the brake would not release. Crap GM back then

Didn't it have an emergency-release lever or switch in case the automatic system didn't work?

07-03-24, 08:51 PM

#112

SW17LS

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Quote:

Originally Posted by bitkahuna

they'd be struggling more then if they were hamstrung by the kind of regs you want to see imposed on them.

and i don't think they're struggling at all to make cars new and different.

I don’t see how simple guidelines about the operation of shifter design would make carmakers struggle.