The Wrist Twist Steering Wheel

Someone even tried a joystick push, pull, and turn to control speed, breaking, and turning. It didn't catch on either.

Me? I've gone 100% automatic as I've been mashing a clutch continually since 1969 I though it was about time.

The joystick is a practical idea, but I'm not sure that I want to trust handing over control to an electric motor to initiate steering commands.

And although it is inevitable that the autonomous automobile is coming down a road near you, I will keep my manually operated cars.

Interesting concept, but obviously it was not well received. I doubt automated cars will be either anytime soon.
Expat, suffering from carpal ankle? 😉

@Patty: Left knee gone to hell.

That sucks honey, hubby has the same problem but his right knee. Not from manual transmission driving though, he can't drive them.

Actually, Patty, we already have computer directed transport used on a daily basis - a modern passenger airliner is capable of completing a flight with very little input from a pilot. They are capable of takeoff, flight and landing autonomously. I used to work on testing the flight control and management computers used in Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

It is only a matter of time before application to an automobile and although I have reservations about it, in the long run it may be safer than relying on distracted, fatigued or drunken humans piloting cars on the same road.

There's an idea, breathalyzers to come standard on self driving models. Then if you blow over the limit you can not manually override and drive.
You know it always amazes and impresses me on the stuff all you guys have done over the course of your lives. I feel lucky to know so many smart and accomplished people. I lean something almost every time I come to WU.

Like how to spell learn.

I saw a car demonstrated which was completely drive-by-wire (steering, brakes, and accelerator didn't control the car directly) in the mid/late 1970s. It wasn't meant for general use -- a company retrofitted a production car (can't remember if it was an Olds or a Buick) and tried to attract interest from driver-safety programs -- the outstanding feature was an adjustable delay to mimic how much your reactions slowed when you've been drinking.

I didn't get to drive it, but it was fun to watch people doing the obstacle course perfectly on the 'sober' setting (car responded immediately) and crunch cones on the 'wasted' setting (about a second between turning the wheel or pushing a pedal and having the car do it).

Obviously they didn't find any takers, and I never heard about it again. I've long wondered what happened to that car.

That is a great idea to let one know when sober what impaired driving is like. Too bad it went away. (off topic, but I love me some Oldsmobiles!)

I am so old I remember this. We had much less safety equipment back then. As it was reported, the intended advantage was that in case of a front impact, it removed the high likelihood of impalement on the steering column (probably fatal, through the heart).

This self driving car thing may work if/when we get those 'smart highways' with the sensor strips in them. They're regulate speed, gap distance, etc.

@Patty: Most of the knee problem came from a fall on some steps. Caught the riser under the kneecap. Also, owned a little Cutlass a few years ago when Wifie and I stayed in the states for a few months. We should have given it to my brother in stead of selling it!

Wow Expat, OUCH!

Those Olds' steer like a dream. Always loved them, sorry when they went out of production.

Ouch?? Oh no! I invented a whole new vocabulary none of which was fit for mixed company. 😉

@Patty -- A classy lady after my own heart! Most of the great cars I've owned have been Oldsmobiles!

Way back when every make had its own dealership, my dad was parts manage for a Chevrolet garage. He always drove Chevys because he could buy at dealer cost and got an employee discount besides. Then (around 1960?), Chevy passed a rule saying employees had to pay at least dealer cost. Dad said if he had to pay full price, he'd drive Oldsmobiles (he could buy at dealer cost anywhere in town).

I've had 88s, a 98, a 442, and several 1966 Toronados (which I still feel are the most beautiful American cars ever!).

Aww thanks sweetie! My first car was a 1976 Delta 88. I loved that land yacht. It was huge but it would really gitty up and go! Steering was great, it was just an all around wonderful car. Still miss it but the gas would kill me now.

My wife's first car (for her 16th birthday) was an electric blue 442 with a white hardtop, but only the little engine (a 350). It was, several years later, my introduction to driving in the US, with power steering and brakes, as well as an automatic. After learning to drive in a Vauxhall Viva (with an 1152 cc engine), it was quite a change!

There is the Oedipus complex. A friend of mine had the 'Dad's got a way, way better car' envy complex. He was on his first job after getting his engineering degree and had a 10 year old lemon car.

His dad, an accountant, had just bought his first new car. It was a Cutlass 4-4-2 with the 455 cu in engine.

Oedipus complex involves mom, not dad, and has nothing to do with getting in her CAR.

I thought Oedipus was what the Zeus did with the hetaira, or, what the samurai did with the gisha.