(first posted 5/2/2014) I’m a big believer in five speed manual transmissions, and have been for years. When I was a kid, my father introduced me to the advantages of five speed gear counts and overdrive gear ratios, and since then I’ve preferred five speed shift-your-own transmissions over those containing a torque converter and planetary gears. In fact, I’ve upgraded three separate cars to five speed transmissions, despite the fact that the effort expended far outweighs any increase in vehicle value. Still, that work provides solid proof of my five speed passion.
If I had been a child of the sixties and grew up surrounded by big torque V-8s mounted in front of Muncie and Borg Warner 4 speeds, these five speed boxes may never have seduced me. Up until 1972, five speed gear boxes only arrived in the US mounted in European exotics with peaky small displacement engines. But in 1972, Toyota offered a five speed transmission in a single model, looking to test the American waters. Based on history, they were clearly happy with the results. The rapid growth in five speed transmissions brought on by this pioneering model forms the basis of this article.
Dad’s car, right down to the color.
Because my father bought a five speed Toyota in 1973, I had a front row seat to this product line transformation. He had spent several months researching new car options, and through these efforts discovered a new and unique model, the Corolla five speed Sport Coupe. After a test drive, he decided it was the car to have, placed an order, and waited for delivery. This was the only time I remember Dad waiting to get the car he wanted, so I’m going to spend some time talking about this little Corolla Coupe.
1971 Corolla Picture Courtesy of Kevin Martin
In the Fall of 1970, a new generation Corolla arrived on the scene. The base car (shown here) came with a motor displacing 1,200 cc’s (the 3-KC) and a four-speed manual transmission. In September of 1971, a larger 1,600 cc engine became available (the 2-TC). This engine provided a big jump in power, giving the Corolla first rate performance. In fact, there were some who said a 2-TC equipped Corolla offered more bang for the buck than the BMW 2002.
In early 1972, without a lot of fanfare, Toyota started to offer a five speed transmission option behind the 2-TC. This upgrade was available in the two door coupes (but not the two door or four door sedans) and included radial tires and a small mini console. This transmission shared most components with the four-speed manual transmission, but included an additional gear set in the rear of the case that provided an overdrive fifth gear. The transmission provided quieter highway cruising, and decreased the larger engine’s fuel consumption.
A 1974 Corolla S-5 Sport Coupe. I’m not a fan of those big bumpers, but this car still has the factory stripe package.
For the 1973 model year, five speed coupes added the following features: a tape stripe running along the top of the front fender and door, wood grain finish on the steering wheel, dash face, and shift lever, and a tachometer. It now included wider tires compared to the base car (155 SR70-13), but the body did not have fender flares. Having driven one for a number of years, I can tell you it also came with a smooth shifting transmission with a gear set designed to maximize the power available from that little 2-TC four banger.
(1974) SR-5 Sport Coupe
1973 also included a higher trim level model called the SR-5. This car included all the Sport Coupe features but added: wider wheels and larger tires (175 SR70-13), fender flares to cover the wider tires, upgraded suspension components, and red piping in the seat upholstery. This was the first appearance of the SR-5 in the Toyota lineup, and represented the Top Dog Corolla (in some other markets this Corolla received a DOHC engine, but this engine was not offered in the US).
A Japanese market car showing the Sport Coupe roofline and the SR-5 style fender flares.
All SR-5 models included badging on the front fenders, and as the top Corolla trim level, received the most attention from the automotive press. Because of this, most enthusiasts remember the Corolla SR-5, and think all five speed coupes came in this trim level. In reality, many of the cars came with the Sport Coupe package, without the fender flares and increased wheel width.
1973 Corolla Sport Coupe (Japan Market Car).
1974 was the final year of this generation, and the cars carried forward with few changes. The Sport Coupe gained a front fender badge reading “S-5,” and both cars received bigger bumpers and modified emission controls.
A green 1972 Gran Torino (mine wasn’t this nice). What was I thinking?
Sad tale: when it came time for my first car, I bought Dad’s ’73 Corolla Coupe. A few years later, I sold it for something bigger and louder, but far less interesting (see picture above…). Today, I’d love to find a replacement five speed Corolla Sport Coupe, but there just aren’t any unmolested examples available. Most of the Corolla Coupes of this generation now pack dual overhead engines, turbochargers and roll cage interiors. While there’s nothing wrong with these modifications, these street legal Go Karts are no longer the car I remember driving back in 1978.
New 5 Speeds for 1974
Enough reminiscing, let’s get back to our five speed history. In 1974, Toyota also added five speed transmissions to two other models- The Celica GT and the Corona SR Coupe. Since these cars used the 22-R four cylinder, Toyota had to develop an entirely new five speed for these cars. Clearly, they thought the five speed transmission offered a lot of bang for the buck.
The next generation of Corollas: Five Speed Heaven!
This bring us to 1975 and the next generation of the Corolla. The ’75 Corollas were longer and wider than the previous car, and with the gas crisis in full swing, Toyota relied on their five speed transmission to deliver superior fuel economy while maintaining good driving dynamics. The top of the line models remained the SR-5, but you could now get the five speed on other models by selecting the E-5 (Economy 5) option. In addition to broadening five speed availability in the Corolla line, customers could now buy a Toyota Pickup with a five speed transmission.
I don’t have sales figers for 1972 through ’74, but we can safely assume assume the numbers came in at less than 10% of total sales in the first two years. 1974 sales would be interesting to see, since Toyota offered the transmission in three models, but the data just isn’t out there.
However, I did find five speed sales data broken out seperately starting in 1975. That year, 21.9 % of the Corollas, 48.6 % of the Celicas and 19.6 % of the Coronas came with the five speed. Added all together, just over a quarter (27.5 %) of the Toyota cars included the five speed.
In comparison, here are the percentages of five speed manuals among Toyota’s import competition:
Japanese Brands:
Datsun- 0% Mazda- 1% Colt- 1% Honda- 11.2% Subaru- 21%
European Brands:
Volkswagen/Audi- 0% British Leyland- 0% Volvo- 0% Saab- 0% BMW- 0%
Peugeot- 0% Fiat/Lancia- 39 % (all Lancia) Porsche- 98.4%
Clearly, Toyota had a jump on the other imports. They were no longer the only low price car with a five speed option, but their product line provided the most five speeds, and the public was clearly warming to the technology.
For further proof, let’s jump forward two years. In 1977, 48 % of the Corollas, 70 % of the Celicas and 42 % of the Coronas came with the five speed. For the first time, over half (54.7 %) of all Toyota cars came with this option. The next year, buyers could not get a 1978 Celica with a four-speed manual–the five speed was the only manual option.
But the five speed transmission was not only a Toyota phenomenon. Looking at the competition, The Japanese manufacturers (and a few European brands) also found a way to increase the percentages of 5 speed transmissions sold in their lineups.
Japanese Brands
Datsun- 25 % Mazda- 41.8 % Colt- 19.8 % Honda- 34.4 % Subaru- 15.9%
European Brands
Volkswagen/Audi- 0% British Leyland- 23.8% Volvo- 0% Saab- 0% BMW- 0%
Peugeot- 0% Fiat- 38.4 % Lancia-100% Porsche- 28.8 %
It’s pretty clear the Japanese were on board with the program, but the Europeans were still holding back. In fact, Porsche went from an extremely high percentage of five speeds in 1975 (98.4 %) to a mere 28.8 % in ’77. Why? Because the new 911 Turbo and 924 both used a 4 speed manual transmission. I’m not the guy to break down the whys and wherefores of the European cars, but I invite you to share your thoughts on the subject in the comments section.
The Perfect Shift Pattern
So there’s the story of the first five speed overdrive transmission offered in a low price car. Toyota really nailed it in the Corolla- A sweet shifting transmission with a perfect shift pattern. But the story would not be complete without discussing how the US manufacturers responded to this new technology.
While GM, Ford, and Chrysler must have observed the growth of five speeds on the import side, their response was very tepid. Until 1980, neither Ford or (domestic built) Chryslers offered a five speed transmission. However, in an attempt to cash in on the fuel economy advantage of an overdrive, both manufacturers revised the ratios in their existing four-speed transmissions to include an overdrive final gear set.
The four speed overdrive- A swing and a miss
The problem with this approach? Gear spacing. Driver’s accustomed to the flexibility of a four-speed transmission found themselves back in the bad old days of the three-speed. Since fourth gear was now relegated to highway duty, drivers often found themselves jumping back and forth between second and third, looking for a gear to suit their needs. In some cases, it felt as if the engineers left out a gear, thanks to the uneven spacing between gear ratios. These four speed overdrive transmissions may have been an expedient and inexpensive option, but they did not deliver the goods as nicely as Toyota’s five speed.
GM’s T-50: A foul tip
GM did deliver a five speed transmission in 1976, reflecting the fact they had the deepest pockets of any automotive manufacturer at the time. It’s interesting that GM stepped up to the five speed plate, since a huge percentage of their vehicles came equipped with an automatic transmission (the percentage of GM cars with an automatic from ’77 to ’80: 92.6, 95.7, 94.3, and 93.2). In fact, GMs reliance on automatic transmissions makes comparing them to Toyota rather pointless. In the seventies, a majority of Toyotas still came with manual transmissions. Still, it does reflect GM’s attitude toward small car sales, often described as arrogant indifference.
For example, their five speed placed first gear down and to the left of the standard “H” pattern, creating an unnatural shift pattern for city driving. The pattern did reflect the pattern used on some high-end European cars, but it was a racing pattern, designed to allow the driver to use the H portion of the pattern at speed and only drop into first gear while entering and exiting the pits.
Driving in the city, this GM shift pattern was the pits. To prove that point, the transmission made an initial splash in 1976, when 1.3 % of GM’s cars came with the five speed option, but the numbers quickly crashed. In the following three years, the totals were 0.3, 0.2 and 0.2 percent respectively.
Ford’s 5 speed- A line drive outside the foul post
In 1980, GM dropped their five speed entirely. At the same time that Ford offered a new one as an option in the Mustang and Capri. Once again, a domestic five speed transmission came with an oddball shift pattern. This time, Ford placed fifth gear alongside fourth gear in the pattern, requiring the driver to move the shift lever forward, sidewise, and then back again. I’ve driven one of these Mustangs, and found myself skip shifting from third to fifth. While bogging the engine down a bit, choosing to skip shift provided the most natural motion. Once again, strange did not catch on and Ford only equipped 0.2 % of their 1980 cars with a five speed.
Oddly enough, in 1982 our friends at AMC finally cracked the five speed code. The first American manufacturer to offer Borg Warner’s T-5 transmission, 11.0 % of their cars came a five speed that year. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that America’s small car expert led the way in five speed market penetration.
Finally, in 1983 the domestics got it right. Ford and GM equipped their pony cars with the T-5, and both manufacturers offered five speed transmissions in their front wheel drive compacts. AMC continued to grow their five speed business (placing them in 33.9 % of their cars), and even Chrysler offered five speeds in their domestic products (the Omni/Horizon twins and the K-cars). A breakthrough year, 1983 marked the first time the domestics sold more five speed than four speed manual transmissions, finally recognizing the value of this transmission.
So 1983 wraps up our tale and leaves the door open to another significant event: the success of the T-5 transmission. This transmission went on to have the longest production run of any domestic manual transmission, and was used by all four domestic brands (if we count Jeep as a Chrysler brand). But I’ve already covered more territory than I initially set out to tour, so let’s save that tale for another day.
Edit- I meant to incorporate this reference into the article, but during development it just slipped my mind. If you enjoyed this article, check out Paul’s take on the joys of overdrive, linked here: The Joys of Overdrive. D/S
Very informative, thanks for reposting this article.
It’s no wonder how Toyota surpassed GM to became the world’s largest (some years in the top five) automobile company. It’s sort of amazing that Toyota retained the Corolla name since 1966, with a vast array of different Corolla models.
I wanted to buy a friend’s 1973 Corolla with an automatic that somehow ended up with my older brother when I moved to Chicago. In the early ‘90’s I mastered driving (and stopping) with a 5 speed on Seattle’s steep hills in a 5th gen Toyota pickup. When I was back in Chicago in the mid ‘90’s I had a great driving experience with a throughly rusted out 5 speed ‘86 Corolla FX16 hatchback.
Toyota and other Japanese car companies really know how to make a great automobile.
Great article, thanks!
I also missed the first time around.
I didn’t realize Toyota was such leader…but I should have.
As I started becoming more knowledgeable about cars, as a kid in the late 1970s (who had just moved to the US), I though the Japanese in general had adopted the 5-speed, because they offered more value. How hard was an extra cog? Also, all the up-level Japanese cars had 5 speeds, including Datsun, Mazda, Honda, Mitsubishi (Colt/Arrow), and Subaru in the late 1970s. Isuzu eventually (the Buick Opel was 4-speed only)
GM offered it on the…Vega and variants (in 1976, I think you could get a 3-spd manual, a 4-spd, and a 5-spd in the Vega).
Good for Toyota! And good for the consumer.
Toyota, conservative, but clever. If my memory serves me correctly, the original US-Market Toyota Camry (82? 83? or 84?) was the first mass-market front-drive car with a FOUR-speed automatic. Very clever way to really ONE-UP your competitors.
Also, Toyota led the way with 16-valve 4-cylinders. First again for a mass market car. Corolla GT-S. MR2. And then, the 2nd gen Camry base engine…a 16-valve four.
My first 5-speed was a 86 VW GTI. Close-ratio gears, I learned to appreciate gearing that ‘matches’ the car’s weight and engine. I’ve driven several ‘good matches’. BMW 318is. Ford Probe GT (smoooooooth V6). Chevy Cobalt SS supercharged. The gearing ratios contributed, together with good clutch and decent linkage, to the fun to drive factor
The other extreme was a 2017 Chevy Cruze I test drove. The ratios are so far apart, it’s like a domestic 1972 3-speed all over again….albeit with a nice shift linkage. 2nd too many revs, 3rd not enough for the engine. No way I would buy one.
Thank you for that. I grew up with a lot of prejudice against Japanese cars (this was the 80s). These days I see how charming and often technically interesting these vehicles are. The five-speed story is another insight to add to my knowledge.
Super work.
In 1969 Austin Maxi came with a 5-speed gearbox.
Replaced the 4 speed in my old gas engined ’77 Rabbit with a wide ratio 5 speed, increased my hwy MPG and the low RPM’s really quieted it down as well. Big improvement. Missed this the first time, great article.
Never realized the significance of the Toyota 5-speed. I purchased an ‘83 Toyota Hi-Lux 3/4 ton in 1986 equipped with the 22R engine and a 5-speed, to replace my ‘80 F-150 propelled by a 300-6 with a 3-speed. The Ford reportedly came originally with the 3-speed w/overdrive as described in the article, but as I recall those transmissions were problematic in most Ford trucks.
The Toyota really did drive sweet, smooth, and easy, compared to most other manual trannies I had experienced. I wouldn’t recommend trying this at home, but one night while drunk (the only way this could’ve happened) I was traveling though a neighborhood at about 50 or 60mph in 4th or 5th gear on wet roads on a slight downhill slope. As I passed a side street, a bug up my butt decided I should dump the clutch, slam it into reverse, and then floor it…without braking and while still traveling forward. The tire squeal of spinning in reverse while still moving forward must’ve woke the entire block. The truck came to a gradual stop, started to move backward (tires still screaming for mercy) until I reached the side street, then slammed it in 1st and made a screaming right hand turn. All in the space of about 100 feet. The transmission never protested nor suffered any damage. I can only imagine how many pieces the Ford 3-speed would have broken into had I tried that with the F-150.
Way back in 1990 I helped a neighbor move some stuff with his 80s-something Toyota pickup. I remember seeing 30,000 miles on the odometer. I made a couple of runs driving it and enjoying the five-speed, thinking how it was a bit more fun than my ’90 S10, which by coincidence also had 30,000 miles. (We had swapped trucks for awhile) When we were done I told him it was a nice truck, and I mentioned the mileage coincidence. He pointed out that his actually was 130,000 miles, as I hadn’t looked at it correctly.
Wow, Toyota, I thought. I really couldn’t tell as it felt new. I went and traded the S10 for a Corolla SR5 later that week.
(With an auto. I was tired of shifting anyway)
Always baffled me why it took the manufacturers so long to put more gears in the transmission. Crappy acceleration or engines reving to high at cruise speed. My 2012 Boss 302 has a rally nice 6spd trans. 5 close gears and overdrive in 6th. My F150 has a 10 spd auto and its fabulous, especially towing, close gear splits makes pulling hills a breeze.
the lancia fulvia was the first production car to have a 5 speed gearbox
Interesting article; however, it leaves out the TRUE originators of the modern 5-speed – Fiat and Alfa Romeo. Contrary to the comment above about the Alfa not using 5th gear as an overdrive, yes, the majority were overdrives.
Gear ratios for Alfa Romeo 1600 / 1750 / 2000 models:
1 – 1:3.304
2 – 1:1.988
3 – 1:1.355
4 – 1:1
5 – 1:0.791*
*Some cars used a 0.860 5th gear. Now, there may be a model or two that didn’t have an OD 5th-gear, but that is rare.
Some may argue that the Alfas were not inexpensive cars. Still, they did have a significant influence on what was expected from a modern sports car.
Fiat genuinely introduced the 5-speed to mainstream car enthusiasts. Well before Toyota, Fiat offered a 5-speed transmission standard in certain 124 models from 1966. By 1969, all Fiat 124 sport series had 5-speeds as their only available gearbox. These modestly-priced cars were popular in the US and abroad, and that fact was not wasted on Toyota. The Celica was their version of the 124 Sport Coupe, the Fiat being considered the originator of the “super-coupe” concept, according to folks like Car&Driver.
Indeed, Toyota even copied the shift pattern from these 1960s Italians.
You’re leaving out the key element: final drive ratio. That’s ultimately what determines top gear engine speed. Yes, technically, the Alfa 5 speed has an overdrive 5th, but then every air cooled VW also has a top gear less than 1:1. But that doesn’t mean that it really functions as an overdrive, in the practical sense of the word, not the literal/technical.
The Alfa has a 4.56:1 rear axle ratio. That results in a total ratio of 3.92 or 3.606 in 5th, depending on which gearbox it has.
The 1974 Corona SR-5 had a 3.90:1 rear axle ratio. That results in a total 5th gear ratio of 3.23:1, which means its engine is revving considerably slower at cruising speed in 5th.
That is the functional benefit of a true “overdrive” transmission, where the engine speed is reduced to conserve fuel and engine wear.
Some “overdrive” transmission had a 1:1 ratio in top (overdrive) gear, but because of it being combined with a very low (numerical) axle ratio, it functioned like an overdrive.
The functional aspect of an overdrive was to reduce engine revolutions to save fuel and wear. That is not the primary purpose of an Alfa transmission’s gearing in 5th.
Much of the same applies to the Fiat, which also had a fairly high (numerical) rear axle ratio.
No one is denying that Alfa, Fiat, Porsche and others had 5 speed transmissions prior to Toyota. But Toyota revolutionized the field by offering them widely (and affordably) across their line, with the kind of gearing that was oriented to saving fuel, as a consequence of the 1973-1974 energy crisis.
Hi Paul,
The question is when you shift the Fiat or Alfa from direct drive 4th into 5th gear, do the RPMs drop? The answer is yes, they do because 5th is an overdrive. Just like on the Toyotas, the revs drop, and you get precisely the same benefits: quieter cruising, better gas mileage, lower engine speeds.
The fact that the Italian cars use lower final drives doesn’t change that fact. If anything, it makes the O/D 5th gear an even more attractive feature. Remember, these cars have high revving twin cam engines that make their power at high RPM. The low geared final drives keep the engine in its powerband.
The Fiat Twin Cam 1.4L, 1.6L and 1.8L final drive / overall 5th gear ratio:
4.30:1 / 3.78:1
Fiat 2.0L final drive / over all 5th gear ratio:
3.90:1 / 3.27:1
’74 Corolla SR-5 final drive / overall 5th gear ratio:
4.111:1 / 3.54:1
The O/D 5th gear helps the Fiat to cruise the autostrada at the company’s suggested 4/5ths its top speed.
I enjoyed the article and passion expressed, and don’t want to take away from the article’s point, but not mentioning Fiat’s contribution leaves a bit of a hole in the story for the readers. Years before Toyota, the Fiat 124 sport series allowed U.S. buyers to buy a car with a 5-speed (along with a twin-cam engine, 4-wheel disc brakes, etc., but that’s another story) for a modest price. These cars were priced considerably less than a Porsche or Alfa (although they were considered as good within “limits of sanity”*) or other premium European imports and were popular among enthusiasts.
1973 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe $3,498**
1973 Toyota Corolla SR5 $2,443**
1973 Porsche 911T $7,620**
1973 Toyota Celica ST (only 4-speed) $2,898**
1974 Toyota Celica GT w/5-speed $3,569***
True, the Fiat sports were more expensive than the economy-minded mass-market Toyotas, so I get the article’s premise. My point is not to overlook the considerable contributions Italian marques have made to the automotive world and for the average car buyer. I bet a lot of readers would be surprised.
*Car&Driver
**Consumer Reports ’73
***Hagerty
The question is when you shift the Fiat or Alfa from direct drive 4th into 5th gear, do the RPMs drop?
OMG, are you serious? Of course they do. Any time you shift up to a higher gear, rpm drops. Always, in every gear.
The fact that the Italian cars use lower final drives doesn’t change that fact. If anything, it makes the O/D 5th gear an even more attractive feature. Remember, these cars have high revving twin cam engines that make their power at high RPM. The low geared final drives keep the engine in its powerband.
That’s exactly my point. Keeping an engine in its optimum powerband is the opposite of overdrive, which is defined as a gear that keeps engine rpm too low for the car to achieve its maximum speed in that gear, for the sole purpose of saving fuel. That was never the purpose of Alfa’s 5th gear.
Does the Alfa reach its maximum speed in 4th gear or 5th gear? That is the key question here. If it achieves it in 5th gear, than it’s not an overdrive. If it achieves it in 4th gear, than it is an overdrive.
I just found a Road and Track review of an Alfa 2000 GTV (August 1972). here’s what they have to say about its gearing:
though 5th gear is technically an overdrive (meaning a less than 1:1 ratio) applied to the 4.56:1 final drive is in reality a normal top gear, giving 3600 rpm at 70 mph
Here’s the top speed R&T achieved in each gear at exactly 5800 rpm (factory red line):
1st: 27mph
2nd: 45mph
3rd: 66mph
4th: 89mph
5th: 110mph
There’s the proof of exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you. 5th is essentially the equivalent of a direct fourth gear on other cars. 4th gear on the Alfa peaks at 89mph at 5800 rpm. That’s not a gear you want to cruise in. It does mean the Alfa has more intermediate gears, which is of course useful for true sporty/racing driving.
You might want to read the definition of overdrive at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overdrive_(mechanics)
Clearly, Toyota had a jump on the other imports. They were no longer the only low price car with a five speed option, but their product line provided the most five speeds, and the public was clearly warming to the technology.
The author repeatedly compares Toyota to its direct competition. Alfa Romeo was very much not a direct competitor. Nor was the Fiat twin Cam Sport/Spider. They were in a different league.
The author never once claims that Toyota was the first to sell cars with 5 speed transmissions; only in its low-price segment. The first 5 speed they offered was in a Corolla!
Yes, Alfa had 5 speed well before Toyota, as did Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati and other sports cars. But their 5th gears were not true overdrives.
I phrased my comment like that because it is obvious. I was making the point that if the transmission input shaft is turning less the output shaft, that is the definition of what transmission overdrive is. The Fiat and Toyota transmissions operate precisely the same.
The article you asked me to read states, “Use of the term is confused, as it is applied to several different, but related, meanings.”
By bringing up this overdrive definition of direct drive being the top speed gear, then none of the cars being discussed meet the standard of being a true overdrive. See below:
’75 Celica *
final drive / overall ratio
3.91:1 / 3.32:1
Top Speed
Gear / Speed / RPM
4th / 103 mph / 6000
5th / 104 mph / 5200
’75 Corolla SR5
final drive / overall ratio
4.30:1 / 3.70:1
Top Speed
Gear / Speed / RPM
4th / 95 mph / 6000
5th / 98 mph / 5400
’74 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe
final drive / overall ratio
4.30:1 / 3.78:1
Top Speed
Gear / Speed / RPM
4th / 102 mph / 6500
5th / 107 mph / 5900
The Toyota and Fiat gearing is close to nearly identical. All these cars eke out a few mph more in 5th gear.
Using the final drive / top speed argument would also disqualify Toyota from using the term “overdrive.”
I am using the term “overdrive” how most, including Toyota, use it, and I argue it is most applicable. What gear you achieve top speed in is irrelevant for the majority of consumers. The attributes of an overdrive’s lower engine speeds, better economy, quieter running are the meaning that most fits the context.
Also, obviously, Alfa Romeo is not in the same class as a Toyota. I mentioned Alfa Romeo because they were an early adopter of 5-speeds, the 5th gear ratio is an overdrive (less than 1:1), plus has used that shift pattern for more than a decade before Toyota. I felt it would be informative in case someone misunderstood Toyota came up with that pattern.
Finally, this is from the story and the main reason I posted in the first place.
“Up until 1972, five speed gear boxes only arrived in the US mounted in European exotics with peaky small displacement engines”
The Fiat 124 Coupe is not an exotic car (although it may appear to be to people used to American or Japanese vehicles). While it is priced more than a Corolla and not in the same class, it is about the USA’s average car’s cost at the time and not premium priced car. The Fiat 124 sport series all had 5-speeds as their only transmissions starting in 1969. As such, they were among the first affordable cars available in the US with 5-speeds.
As I said, I agree with the premise of the article saying that the low priced, mass-market Corolla introduced many to the 5-speed. Still, the statement above about “…five speed gear boxes only arrived in the US mounted in European exotics…” is likely an oversight, but is also misleading. It leaves out Fiat’s contribution.
I posted in the spirit to add a little more to the story and contribute to the reader’s knowledge. I believe everything I have written is accurate, and don’t see where I am going wrong.
*Road & Track
overdrive in American English
(ˈoʊvərˌdraɪv )
noun
1. a gear that at a certain speed automatically reduces an engine’s power output without reducing its driving speed: used to lessen fuel consumption and engine wear
overdrive in British English
noun (ˈəʊvəˌdraɪv )
1. a very high gear in a motor vehicle used at high speeds to reduce wear and save fuel
“Overdrive” and “indirect gearing” are not one and the same. Tens of millions of VW Beetles and other air-cooled VWs have an indirect fourth gear (0.82; 0.89; or 0.93), yet no one would ever suggest that these cars have “overdrive”.
Yes, the examples you showed do suggest that these cars could achieve top speed in either 4th or 5th gear, but clearly 5th gear is designed to be a genuine overdrive, reducing engine rpm at higher speeds.
And very clearly, that is not the case with the Alfa Romeo, which could only do 89 mph in 4th gears. The Alfa 5th gear is absolutely not an overdrive gear. That applies to early Porsche 5 speeds, and other Italian exotics. As I said, historically 5 speed transmission in sporty cars were designed for one purpose only: to allow more intermediate gears for racing/sporty driving. Saving fuel was absolutely not a consideration.
Yes, the author did not give quite as much credit to Alfa and Fiat’s 5 speed transmissions. Does that satisfy you?
I’m going to end this conversation now, as I’ve more than adequately explained it. I don’t know why you feel such a great need to debate this any further.
My brand new 1985 sr5 toyota 5sp was purchased from Longo Toyota around September 1975.
After about 30,000 in 1978 transmission failure occurs.
With help from a friend we pull the trans out. Drain the oil which included pieces of metal.
I then took the trans to Longo talk w a mechanic there and was told a 5 bearing in the overdrive side of shaft came apart then mention a 6 bearing is the new replacement fix by Toyota.
Purchased the bearing, mechanic replaced w new 6 bearing, went home and we installed it.
Later that day, started it up, test drove, all fixed!
I’m curious to know if you might have an answer for this – my 2003 Tundra 5 speed just crapped out. It will engage and go in reverse but not any forward gears. If I leave it in gear, it won’t roll but still will not go forward.