Editing Manual transmission (section)

=== 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.