Friday 7th September 1928

Mr J. K. Robertson, an engineer, successfully completed a 25,000-mile trial of his invention that automatically changed a car’s gears, thus eliminating the clutch pedal. For the test, the device was fitted to a standard 8-bhp car and driven in different traffic conditions around the UK. The invention was exhibited at the London Motor Show the following month, and attracted the attention of several British car manufacturers.