As the days begin to lengthen, our thoughts of how to use our classic cars become more inviting. As SCM Contributor Miles Collier as puts it so succinctly, “It’s all about engagement.”
We all have cars of varying ages and degrees of performance. What endears them to us is the degree of competence each requires to work properly. My first two cars were both English and with non-synchronized first gears. Whether in my 1959 Bug Eye or my 1958 MGA, I recall the immense feeling of satisfaction got when I double de-clutched and snicked past the straight-cut gears from second into first.
When I first had the chance to drive a Bugatti Type 35, I recall a similar feeling as I used just enough force, and just enough revs, to navigate through the non-synchro box. I was demonstrating my ability to properly operate a crash-box – and I was thrilled.
With all the current folderol about automatic transmissions vs dual-clutch, paddle-shift PDK-style units, what is left out of the conversation is the issue of engagement. To shift a manual effectively, you have to be engaged with the gearbox. It’s not a “flick and forget” operation.
In fact, one of the great surprises of the Sportomatic semi-automatic gearbox in our 1975 2.7L 911S is how satisfying it is to manually stir the wand as you select a gear.
No, the Sporto will never shift as quickly as a PDK. But in the end does it matter? Let me know if you have ever driven an auto or semi-auto gearbox that is a engaging as a manual?
I look forward to your answers below.
Read my previous blog posts here.
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