Re: Don't believe this applies to Alfas

[George Graves <gmgraves@domain.elided>]

That is correct, there was a Wilson Pre-selector gearbox, but it wasn't 
electric it was vacuum/hydraulic IIRC. It was used in, among others,  
pre-war French Delahaye (and a Couple of Bugatti Type 57s) and the cars 
usually also had the incredibly expensive adjustable "de Ram" shock 
absorbers ($1000 a set in 1936!). But there was also a Cotal Electric 
gearbox as well. Seems to me that certain pre-war French cars like 
Talbot-Lagos (including that drop-dead beautiful late '30's sports/GT 
coupe with the "round" doors) used them. My info comes from 30 years of 
reading Ralph Stein's books. I have heard of an Alfa Romeo with one or 
the other of these  gearboxes installed, But I cannot put my finger on 
WHERE I've heard or read this. Alfa made so few of any particular car 
(kinda like Ferrari in the late-forties, early-fifties with their one 
and two-offs and no two being exactly alike) before the 1900 series 
commenced, that each was likely to be somewhat of a 'custom' job. It is 
therefore NOT inconceivable that Alfas built for wealthy custom clients 
could end-up with just about any available option that the customer 
wanted.


George Graves
'86 GTV-6
now with 3.0 liter 'S' engine
and Power Steering


On Saturday, March 15, 2003, at 02:46 AM, alfa-digest wrote:


> Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 21:27:23 -0500
> From: William & Sonnie  Schafer <schaferbs@domain.elided>
> Subject: Don't believe this applies to Alfas
>
> Biba:  Had to go back & rack my weak 72 year old brain  but here goes. 
>  I
> think that they were called Wilson Pre-selectors. In about 1942-3,  I 
> drove
> a 1938 Terraplane which belonged to a neighbor.  The shifter was on the
> left side of the steering column and  had a gate with  a lever about 
> 11/2"
> high which was moved to the slot for the proper gear & when the clutch 
> was
> depressed the transmission  changed gears. Greatly simplified the 
> process.
> Don't think a very large number of them were put into American cars.
> Bill Schafer
> '87 Milano Oro (Alfa Content)
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