In a message dated 1/26/01 10:46:09 AM Pacific Standard Time,
simon@mondes.com writes:
<< BTW, my Formula Junior has the shift on the left. Why a single-seat
purpose-built race car would have the shift on the left is a mystery
that died with the builder. >>
I suspect most British Formula Junior drivers would want the gearshift on the
left, so it may have been a sales point directed towards those drivers.
If you think about it, only 10% of the population are truly left handed.
Which is more important, steering a car very precisely through right and
turns or shifting gears? I would say that steering is more important, so you
should do that with your dominant hand/arm. Perhaps this is why virtually
all front-engined sportsracers, from Ferrari to Lotus, were RHD (and thus
left-hand shifting). However, some of the rear engined sportracers did move
the gearshift location to the right when they went to rear-engined cars. The
Lotus 17 (front-engined) and 19 (rear-engined) were RHD with a left handed
gearshift, while the rear-engined Lotus 23 and 30 were RHD with a right
handed gearshift. The 19 was a car Lotus marketed world -wide, while a
majority of the 23s and 30s were sold in North America. Perhaps the
preference of the purchaser had something to do with it.
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