Abstract: A vehicle gear change mechanism is provided to enable a gear change to be effected with a conventional gearbox without manually moving the gears. The gear changes are effected by an actuator which is hydraulically powered and is controlled by a control device including a control unit. The actuator is operated such that the force applied to effect a gear change is varied to be reducible during gear engagement. In one arrangement this is achieved by controlling the supply of hydraulic fluid through a valve and a hydraulic accumulator. There is also provided a device for controlling operation of a clutch to the gearbox whereby smooth gear changes are effected.