Column gear shift on manual transmission

[Dyslexic Viking]

I love column gear shift on a manual transmission and this is one of those things that should never have gone away.

But which cars in Europe after 1970 could you still get this?

I was surprised when a diesel 1971 W115 Merc came up for sale and it had this, all the ones I've seen so far have been floor shift so it must have been a choice between these.

Opel Rekord C still had them and think i have seen a Rekord D with them also. Those are the car models I know about. But I know that the 1st generation Fiat/Citroen/Peugeot/Talbot vans had this, which was probably the last in Europe?

[Dyslexic Viking]

Opel Rekord C

[sheffcortinacentre]

MK4 zep/zod, Reno 16, Bedford midi.

[Dyslexic Viking]

I remembered that some 504 also had it and after seeing pictures online I remembered correctly.

I'm trying to find more.

[D.E]

Rare option on the W123 W124:

[garethj]

My Tatra 603 had it, they were made up to 1974.  

[captain_70s]

The French certainly persisted into the middle 70s with column change. Renault in particular.

[Mrs6C]

The manual Citroen DS had a column shift. That was built until 1975.

[Dyslexic Viking]

8 minutes ago, D.E said:

Rare option on the W123:

I did not know that. And now want one. Wonder how many if any 240D or 300D were made with this.

[D.E]

2 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I did not know that. And now want one. Wonder how many if any 240D or 300D were made with this.

Actually, I have to correct myself. This picture is of a column shifter in a W124, which was even rarer!

W123:

W124:

[Sigmund Fraud]

Saab 96 (and 95) kept their column shift until the end of production in 1980.

[Mrs6C]

The manual Peugeot 404 has a column shift. That was made in Europe until 1975, but up to 1980 in Argentina.

[Sham]

When did Trabants stop production? 

[Dyslexic Viking]

4 minutes ago, Sham said:

When did Trabants stop production? 

Yes, I forgot them, but the last years were probably floor change with the VW engine.

1990 on 2 stroke engine. And 1991 on VW engine.

[Dyslexic Viking]

So until now the W124 looks like it may have been the last even though they are rare and the Trabant was the last car where it was standard.

[DodgeRover]

Aussie Ford Econoline and Mazda vans were available with column shift through the 80s

[lesapandre]

In the UK the Vauxhall FD Victor certainly had up to 1972.

Taxi drivers liked column change I think - hence they persisted.

I bet the Chrysler 180 made in Spain had the option.

There is probably going to be some Far Eastern car still using column change!

[barefoot]

Has it ceased to exist because of crash regulations?

[Asimo]

42 minutes ago, D.E said:

Actually, I have to correct myself. This picture is of a column shifter in a W124, which was even rarer!

W123:

W124:

That explains why “everything” is on that single left stalk!  (And maybe even the pedal-set parking brake)

[Rocket88]

53 minutes ago, Mrs6C said:

The manual Citroen DS had a column shift. That was built until 1975.

I had a five speed one….

[Dyslexic Viking]

9 minutes ago, barefoot said:

Has it ceased to exist because of crash regulations?

I don't think so, more went out of fashion I think.

[Missy Charm]

Someone will know the actual answer, but I suspect the last car to be fitted with a manual column change was the Nissan Cedric Japanese taxi.  The taxi  was based on the 1987-debuting Nissan Cedric private car and remained in production until, unbelievably, 2015!  It was sold only to commercial clients, of course, and was equipped with various oddities to suit the Japanese taxi driver - including, until some point in the production run, a column-change manual gearbox:

 

Quite when that feature was dropped I don't know, but other things about that photo suggest it's a fairly recent car.  The radio is certainly nineties, if not early 2000s.  

Toyota's Crown Comfort taxi seems to have gone over to floor change for the manual somewhat earlier than the Nissan, so perhaps doesn't count.  

[Inspector Morose]

Most Wartburgs had a column change, apart from the 353s and Knight in the UK and that ran up to 1988 when they went to the VWish engine and floor change (Note: there was a facelift and mechanical upgrade in 1985 and I'm not sure if that stretched as far as a floor change). A good number of the rally Wartburgs (still reasonably popular as a rally weapon) used the column change as the floor change was a bit pants.

[EspenO]

Toyota HiAce up until 1982 at least.  

[EyesWeldedShut]

Had a brief flirtation in the 1980's with both a Renault 4 GTL and a Pug 304 estate that had kind of 'dash' mounted gear changes as the gearbox was out in front of the engine so gear linkage was just a big, steel rod lying over the engine. 

In my book that's not a column change but t'internet reckons it is?

R4 was a 1980s model but the Pug was circa 1975

[Lacquer Peel]

[Sham]

I've never driven a car with a column manual, but I've wanted to for ages, ever since a mate restored a Ford Zephyr in the 90's.

[bigstraight6]

I do like a manual column gear shift as fitted to a certain very old Ford I own! I do recall driving an early 1980’s registered Mazda pickup belonging to my employer in 1988 that was manual column shift and being surprised that a vehicle of its age had this. 

[eddyramrod]

2 hours ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

Opel Rekord C

Ahem, count the pedals: this car has a Gentleman's Gearbox.  Which means I would be very happy with it.  I love having the shift on the column, as long as all I have to do is pull it from P to D.

[garethj]

2 hours ago, Sigmund Fraud said:

Saab 96 (and 95) kept their column shift until the end of production in 1980.

That’s right, I had a 1978 95 with column change and a handbrake straight out of a railway signal box.