Just a tidbit.....the shaft sliding is a function of the collapsible column.....a safety feature that works with the wire mesh portion of the outer column.
Thanks for the tidbit HemiDenny. I'm not sure how effective this feature would have actually been in the event of a collision, but it is interesting to see how safety was becoming more of a concern in the engineering of these cars. It's a step up from a padded dash cover and seat belt!