I continue pondering the Alfa Romeo 4C as a solution to my inability to drive our Lotus Elise, due to due to its 6-speed manual transmission.

If I trade out of our Elise and into a 4C, two things will happen. First, it will somehow cost me around $15k. I’ve learned than whenever you sell one car to buy another, you end up spending at least that much. And that’s assuming the new car needs nothing, which is never true. Second, my daughter Alex tells me she will change her name to WHERESMYLOTUS Martin until I once again buy the car back. (Yes, I have sold and bought back this very car before.)

We’ve not yet had a chance to see if I (and my rollator) will fit in the 4C. But in the meantime, another alternative has been brought to my attention.

I happened to be texting with our ace European auction reporter Paul Hardiman as he was returning from covering the €10.2m Bonhams auction in Belgium. He mentioned that he had recently seen a 1933 Invicta S-type modified with hand controls, and he wondered if a hand-controlled clutch might be an option for me.

I had been down this road once before, with a vacuum-operated system fabricated for our Junior Zagato. That turned out to be a very expensive (over $15k) and frustrating exercise, as the little engine just didn’t generate enough vacuum to work properly. In the end, we gave up, removed the automated clutch system, and sold the Junior Z back to its former owner, SCMer Gordy Hyde. He was delighted to have the car again.

I mentioned the hand-controlled clutch idea to SCMer Brad Miller, as well as SCM Webmaster Michael Cottam, and soon enough the pot began to boil.

Enter the “Duck clutch.”  According to the manufacturer, this device electronically operates the clutch from a hand control on the gear lever, eliminating the need to use a pedal. Estimated installation time is between eight and nine hours.

I’ve found web references to one of these being installed on an MGA and MGB, which both have hydraulic clutch linkages. So does our 1964 Austin-Healey 3000 BJ8 Mk III.

Our fear-no-challenges guru Chip Starr at Race Car Resurrections says he looks forward to the project.

In the meantime, if any of you have used a Duck clutch or know where to source the units, please drop me a line at keith.martin@sportscarmarket.com.

Also let me know your thoughts about being able to manually shift our Healey as an alternative to getting a 4C. I look forward to reading your comments below.

Read my previous blog posts here.

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