re:V8 quattro's, automatics and 5-speeds

[pjrose@servtech.com (Phil & Judy Rose)]

>Date: Fri, 03 Jul 1998 01:27:21 GMT
>From: quk@isham-research.demon.co.uk (Phil Payne)
>Subject: V8 quattro's,  automatics and 5-speeds
>
>In message <01BDA5DD.04600900@viasomnibook> David Via writes:
>
>> Can I take that as confirmation that the 4.2 was indeed sold in Europe
>> with the 5 Spd?
>
>That - no.  This - yes.
>
>We don't like slushboxes here.  It starts in the driving school: "Do
>you want to take a manual test, or an automatic test?"
>
>(The latter clause spoken with a slight sneer.)
>
>In the UK, if you take your practical driving test in a slushbox you
>are not allowed by law to drive a manual shift without taking another
>practical test.  Thus, _ALL_ people even remotely capable of grasping
>the concept of a clutch do the manual test.  After this, of course,
>you drive a manual just to demonstrate to the world that you're not one
>of the 0.3% who can't manage the co-ordination required for a manual
>shift ...


That sort of licensing restriction also used to be common in the States.

When I was a wee lad in Arizona (yes I can barely recall...), I was
scheduled to take my driving test on the day of my 16th birthday (and not a
millisecond later, mind you)! The car was to be my Dad's '50 Chevy
(stickshift). But when my friend and I met Dad at the testing station, he
brought devastating news! The '50 Chev was not driveable that day--in the
shop. So he instead brought Mom's '53 Chev with Powerslush. Well,
absolutely _aghast_ at the idea of having a "restricted" license, I opted
to take the driving test using my friend's '49 Merc ("Merc" meant Mercury
in those days)--which I had _never_ driven before. I passed.

Phil (A la Recherche du Voitures Perdu) Rose

('50 Chevy, '60 Falcon, '67 VW, '68 Saab V4, '70 Peugeot 504, '73 Capri V6,
'74 Saab 96, '75 Saab 96, '84 Toyota Tercel 4WD, '87 Subaru 4WD, '89 Probe
GT, '89 Audi 100, '91 200q, -- plus 4 slushboxes)

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