Ford Edsel: First Electric Shift Transmissions
The Ford Edsel was billed as the car of the future. Filling new shoes to compete as the most modern, ahead of it’s times car ever built. Having all sorts of mechanical and cosmetic innovations setting them apart from every other car in the world. Although the Edsel was not the first car to have an ‘electric shift transmission‘ it was the first so called modern car to use a push button electric shift transmission, followed by the Chrysler Imperial in the late 50’ and early 60’s.
The very first ‘electric shift transmission’ was used in the 1914 Norwalks and only 25 models were built. The first systems was developed and manufactured by Vulcan Electric Shift Mfg Co. The systems were built and located in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.
The drivers of the early cars, had to get used to a transmission with push buttons to activate four solenoids from a small shift box, which is how a solenoid is activated. The transmissions electric push button shifter box was attached to the steering tube and you make a choice of selecting between 4 forward speeds, reverse and neutral. There was also a park button which activated a drum brake styled parking brake on the back of the transmission, and a “signal” switch which activated the “ahooga” horn when in reverse.
To make the transmission shift gears one would select a button on the side of the gear selector housing and press it. Then when you pressed the clutch down (disengaged), and as you let the clutch engage (come back up), the button you pushed would send an electric signal to the appropriate electronic solenoid and the shift lever would be ‘told’ or command the transmission to shift to another gear. You could select any gear at any time, but would have to use caution not to select reverse unless the car was at a complete stop.
There were very few cars ever outfitted with this piece of equipment in 1914, maybe only one or two other no-name makes used it. Yet, in concept it was simply so far ahead of the times it was not ready to become successful, and never did for the most part, at least with push button shifters. What has caught on is fully computerized transmissions which use solenoids in an much larger role to put it into gear and command shifts now a days. But obviously they were on to something pretty advanced.
The car was doomed from the start (Edsel) and never caught on for long. My dad had an
Edsel for less than a year. He bought it on it’s billing, and as so many other folks found out, the car was too ahead of it’s time and was nothing but problem after problem, necessitating having to sell it and buy something more suitable, a 1953 Plymouth station wagon.
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