The first car to feature a synchromesh gearbox was the 1928 Cadillac, which introduced this technology to the automotive industry (hemmings.com). The synchromesh system was invented by American engineer Earl A. Thompson in 1918, and Cadillac became the first to implement it in their vehicles (Wikipedia).
Prior to this innovation, manual transmissions required drivers to manually synchronize engine and gear speeds, often leading to gear clash and the need for double-clutching. The synchromesh system allowed for smoother shifting by automatically matching the speeds of gears before engagement, significantly improving the driving experience.
Following Cadillac’s lead, other manufacturers began adopting synchromesh technology. For instance, Porsche introduced a synchromesh system on all forward gears in the 1952 Porsche 356 (Wikipedia). This advancement marked a significant milestone in the evolution of manual transmissions, leading to their widespread use in modern vehicles.
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