Automatics, Valeo clutches etc.

Here is my post from F-Life regarding the Valeo. Hope it helps:
A recent post included questions on how the Valeo works. This info is directly from Dean Batchelor's book: "Illustrated Buyer's Guide: Ferrari"

Valeo is a French clutch manufacturer that produced a system with no clutch pedal but whose clutch was operated by an electro-mechanical actuator (ECM).

This Valeo system can engage and disengage the clutch in 0.02 seconds! Originated for the Lancia rally team, this clutch allowed the drivers to use one foot on the brake and the other on the gas at all times, and it contributed greatly to Lancia's back-to-back world rally championships.

The ECM operated like a manual transmission:Lift off the gas, move the gear shift lever by hand, get back down on the gas, and the clutching was handled without footwork.

Cool or what?? and BTW less than 30 Valeos were US imported: all were convertibles.