Shiftless Auto

The modern automobile is a cranky, fussy thing. Like cranky, fussy old men, it makes a great to-do over its middle parts. While the motor functions regularly and the wheels go round obediently, the gears between them demand constant nursing. Before the car can run smoothly, these gears must be coaxed from first speed to second, then to third, and in some makes, even into a fourth forward speed. Before they will yield to coaxing, the clutch must be pushed down and let up, the foot accelerator released and pressed down again and the shift lever wiggled about delicately. In addition to causing heavy wear on the parts, all this diddling is a great nuisance to the driver, who in a Utopian state of locomotion would be concerned with only two things: 1) to make the car go at desired speed, 2) to make the car stop when necessary. What the world needs, in short, is an easygoing, shiftless automobile.

Six years ago, M. Sensaud de Levaud, French inventor, knew this. Since then, he has been tampering, tinkering, planning, pondering and putting together bits of metal which in final form turn out to be a sensible automotive vehicle with no middle parts to fuss over at all. The motor transmits propulsive force directly to the rear end without intercession of transmission gears.

Lubricants are reduced. Jerks & shocks incidental to clumsy shifting are eliminated. Lazy drivers, who neglect to shift into slower (and consequently more powerful) speeds while running up hills, are rendered harmless.

Such a car, tested, proved that it could ascend a 20% grade, accelerating briskly, stop in the middle of the grade, then proceed again without necessity of manual gear shifting.