Gear shift device for an automatic transmission

A shifting device for a transmission, the shifting device comprising:

• a housing defining a shift gate with a plurality of shift positions;
• a gear shift element arranged in said shift gate and movable into said plurality of shift positions, said gear shift element generating a shift position signal identifying in which of said shift positions said gear shift element is positioned;
• a locking device arranged with the gearshift lever, said locking device defining a protrusion and a contour with a plurality of valleys, each of said valleys being associated with one of said plurality of shift positions, said protrusion and said plurality of valleys biasing said gear shift element in a respective said one of said shift positions;
• a ramp lever movable between an active position interacting with said locking device to bias said gear shift element in a preselected one of said shift positions, and movable to an inactive position out of interference with said locking device, said ramp lever having a contact surface contacting said protrusion in said active position to bias said gear shift element into said preselected said shift position when said gear shift element is in a non-preselected shift position.