Editing Manual transmission (section)

== History ==
=== 1890s to 1940s ===
[[File: PSM V57 D608 Cherrier two speed gear.png|thumb|right|Cherrier two speed gear, circa 1900<ref>[[Wikisource:Popular Science Monthly/Volume 57/August 1900/The Evolution and Present Status of the Automobile]]</ref>]]

Many of the first automobiles were rear-engined, with a simple belt-drive functioning as a single-speed transmission. The 1891 [[Panhard#Early years|Panhard et Levassor]] is considered a significant advance in automotive transmissions since it used a three-speed manual transmission.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 1891 Panhard et Levassor |url=https://www.themotormuseuminminiature.co.uk/1891-panhard.php |website=www.themotormuseuminminiature.co.uk |access-date=2 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sliding Gearbox - 1891 Panhard et Levassor |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkrjueYVvYA | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/VkrjueYVvYA| archive-date=2021-10-30|website=www.youtube.com |access-date=2 July 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> This transmission, along with many similar designs that it inspired, was a [[non-synchronous transmission|non-synchronous]] (also called ''sliding-mesh'') design where gear changes involved sliding the gears along their shafts so that the desired cogs became meshed. The driver was therefore required to use careful timing and [[throttle]] manipulation when shifting, so the gears would be spinning at roughly the same speed when engaged; otherwise, the teeth would refuse to mesh. This was difficult to achieve, so gear changes were often accompanied by grinding or crunching sounds, resulting in the gearboxes being nicknamed "crash boxes".<ref>{{cite web |title=1902 Panhard and Levassor |url=https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1902-panhard-and-levassor1.htm |website=www.howstuffworks.com |access-date=2 July 2020 |language=en |date=7 December 2007 |archive-date=4 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704154635/https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1902-panhard-and-levassor1.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Even after passenger cars had switched to synchronous transmissions (i.e. with synchronizers), many transmissions for heavy trucks, motorcycles and racing cars remained non-synchronous, in order to withstand the forces required or provide a faster [[shift time]].

=== 1950s to 1980s ===
[[File: Ford Design 3-speed OD Transmission w. Hurst Shifter.jpg|thumb|right|Top and side view of a typical manual transmission, in this case, a Ford [[Ford Toploader transmission|Toploader]], used in vehicles with external floor shifters.]]

The first car to use a manual transmission with [[#Synchromesh|synchromesh]] was the [[List of Cadillac vehicles#1920s|1929 Cadillac]].<ref name="hemmings synchromesh">{{cite web |title=Synchromesh Gearbox |url=https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/synchromesh-gearbox |website=www.hemmings.com |access-date=5 July 2020}}</ref> Most North American marques had adopted synchronized manual transmissions, usually for second and high gears, by the mid-1930s. In 1947, Porsche patented the ''split ring'' synchromesh system.<ref>{{cite web |title=Synchromesh - How It Works |url=https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/how_it_works_synchromesh |website=www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au |access-date=5 July 2020}}</ref> The 1952 [[Porsche 356#356 "pre-A"|Porsche 356]] was the first car to use a transmission with synchromesh on all forward gears.<ref>{{cite web |title=Model Guide: 356 — The Simple Porsche |url=https://www.pca.org/news/2017-06-27/model-guide-356-simple-porsche |website=www.pca.org |access-date=5 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=History of the 356 |url=http://356.dk/html/history/history.html |website=www.356.dk |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-date=19 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150819065338/http://356.dk/html/history/history.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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 1948 [[Ferrari 166 Inter]] and the 1953 [[Alfa Romeo 1900#1900 Berlina and Sprint|Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Sprint]]. Five-speed transmissions became widespread during the 1980s, as did the use of synchromesh on all forward gears.

=== 1990s to present ===
Six-speed manual transmissions started to emerge in high-performance vehicles in the early 1990s, such as the 1990 [[BMW 8 Series (E31)|BMW 850i]] and the 1992 [[Ferrari 456]]. The first 6-speed manual transmission was introduced in the 1967 [[Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale]]. The first 7-speed manual transmission was introduced in the 2012 [[Porsche 991|Porsche 911 (991)]].<ref>{{cite web |title=In Your Car, How Many Gears is Too Many? |url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a7243/gears-galore-how-many-speeds-is-too-many/ |website=www.popularmechanics.com |access-date=5 July 2020 |date=29 September 2011}}</ref>

In 2008, 75.2% of vehicles produced in Western Europe were equipped with manual transmission, versus 16.1% with automatic and 8.7% with other.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dctfacts.com/archive/2008/why-dual-clutch-technology-big-business.aspx |title=Why Dual Clutch Technology Will Be Big Business |publisher=Dctfacts.com |access-date=2010-02-07 |archive-date=25 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325205741/http://www.dctfacts.com/archive/2008/why-dual-clutch-technology-big-business.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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