Automatic transmission
For 1963 (initially only in France), Renault offered an automatic transmission of unique design, developed and produced by Jaeger.[6] It was first shown at the September 1962 Paris Motor Show.[7] Although it was described as a form of automatic transmission at the time, in retrospect it was more realistically a form of automatic clutch, inspired by the German Saxomat device which appeared as an option on several mainstream German cars in the 1950s and 60s.
The clutch in the system was replaced by a powder ferromagnetic coupler, developed from a Smiths design.[7] The transmission itself was a three-speed mechanical unit similar to that of the Dauphine, but from the beginning with synchromesh on all gears in this version. The system used a dash-mounted push button control panel where the driver could select forward or reverse and a governor that sensed vehicle speed and throttle position.
A "relay case" containing electromagnetic switches received signals from the governor and push buttons and then controlled a coupler, a decelerator to close the throttle during gear changes, and a solenoid to select operation of the reverse-first or second-third shift rail, using a reversible electric motor to engage the gears. The system was thus entirely electromechanical, without hydraulics, pneumatics or electronics. The relay case was located in the front trunk. On cold days, with no source of heat in the trunk area, the relays would freeze and required the "Open, Push, Whack, and Jump". Essentially, the driver had to open the trunk, push the Drive button on the dashboard, whack the relay box, and jump back into the moving vehicle. On extremely cold days, the relay box was unreliable and intermittent, seemingly having a mind of its own.
Benefits included comparable fuel economy to the manual transmission version, and easy adaptability to the car. Drawbacks included performance loss (with only three available gears) and a somewhat jerky operation during gear changes. The transmission was also used in the Dauphine and the Caravelle.
