I have had two experiences of being in a column shifted 4 speed. One was in 1970 I was hitchhiking and got picked up by a guy in a Mercedes with the tail fins. It was a curvy road. I was amazed at how well the car went on them.

In 1980 a friend had a Citroen with the Air suspension and 4 speed. I seem to remember that the Citroen had some sort of extra position that you could put the shifter out of the way once you got it into fourth.

If it were my car I would go with the more direct linkage on the floor. I think all automatics should be shifted from the column There is no point in taking up the floor space for something you only shift once per start.

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85 Merc 300D - Unwinding 31 years of wear
86 VW TD
Mahindra Diesel
Iseki Diesel

In 2007 I didn't own a diesel.