ERF-NGC-European:
Carryfast:
ERF-NGC-European:
As myself and nmm were alluding to I’d guess that engine characteristics play a large part in forcing whatever driving style by default.As for negotiating awkward mountain roads it generally doesn’t get much more demanding than Italy ( or Sardinia).On that note I’d also guess that instinctively grabbing gears up or down anywhere at any time from nothing is an asset not a liability and again probably something they do by necessity not just for fun.
While I’m not sure how you’d view this style ?.But it’s more or less how I ‘usually’ drove the old Clydesdale,loaded to within an inch of its life with a Drott or Muir Hill or bulk refuse,everywhere from the Surrey Hills to Reigate or Epsom town centre.The key point then being that in neither case was it a Fiat or Detroit motor bolted on the front of the Fuller or Turner box.
Well, I’ve driven in both Sardinia and Corsica, CF, and I agree that they are demanding. Probably like you, I drove modern hire cars in those islands, but I still used exactly the same technique I described earlier for getting my passengers safely and comfortably to their destinations.
In my case I’ve always driven my Jag in Sardinia and Sicily not a hire car. 
Although from what I’ve heard the even more wicked roads in Corsica would probably kill even its AP racing brakes.
As I said I deliberately fitted it with the lightest aluminium race spec flywheel I could get so relatively quick shifts go with the territory although the Getrag isn’t quite as fast as the flywheel 
.The combination is similar to the perfect balance,between quick to shift up or down,but not too quick,provided by the Rolls and Fuller/Foden box combination as shown in the vids which was more or less my favourite one.Along the exact lines of this to drive.Needless to say the Italians are often suitably impressed.