page_title: Manual transmission
section_title: 1950s to 1980s
hierarchical_section_title: Manual transmission / History / 1950s to 1980s
caption_attribution_description: English: Ford Design, manual transmission, more familiarly referred to as a "Toploader", with typical external gear shifter. Specifically, this unit is a RUG CL 3+1 three speed overdrive gearbox from a late 1970s Ford with Hurst four speed shifter.
context_page_description: A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox, a standard transmission, stick shift, gearbox, or clutch, is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications. It uses a driver-operated clutch, usually engaged and disengaged by a foot pedal or hand lever, for regulating power and torque transfer from the engine to the transmission; and a gear selector that can be operated by hand.
  A conventional 5- or 6-speed manual transmission is often the standard equipment in a modern base model vehicle, with 5- speed being common on lower-end vehicles and commercial vehicles. Higher-end vehicles, such as sports cars and luxury cars are often usually equipped with a 6-speed transmission for the base model. Automatic transmissions are commonly used instead of manual transmissions; common types of automatic transmissions are the hydraulic automatic transmission, automated manual transmission, dual-clutch transmission and the continuously variable transmission. The number of forward gear ratios is often expressed for automatic transmissions as well.
context_section_description: The first car to use a manual transmission with synchromesh was the 1929 Cadillac, however most cars continued to use non-synchronous transmissions until at least the 1950s. In 1947, Porsche patented the split ring synchromesh system, which went on the become the most commonly design for passenger cars. The 1952 Porsche 356 was the first car to use a transmission with synchromesh on all forward gears. In the early 1950s, most cars only had synchromesh for the shift from third gear to second gear (drivers' manuals in vehicles suggested that if the driver needed to shift from second to first, it was best to come to a complete stop beforehand).
  Up until the late 1970s, most transmissions had three or four forward gear ratios, although five-speed manual transmissions were occasionally used in sports cars such as the 1966 Ferrari 166 Inter and the 1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Sprint. Five-speed transmissions became widespread during the 1980s, as did the use of synchromesh on all forward gears.
caption: Top and side view of a typical manual transmission, in this case, a Ford Toploader, used in vehicles with external floor shifters.
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