TRANSMISSION OF VOLKSWAGEN

History of Transmission Systems

Car transmissions were not always like this. The ones we see today are the result of an incremental evolution and development over the past century. The earliest transmissions were all of manual type. Later on a fusion of computing technology with well evolved manual transmissions led to the creation of automatic transmission systems in cars. Manual transmissions still continue to be just as popular as they used to be for the sole reason that they give the driver a sense of thrill through the ability to shift gears up or down at any desired moment.

The transmission in a car is an intertwined system of gears, shafts and other parts that form a bridge to transfer power from the engine to the wheels. The setup helps the car maintain its cruising speeds and slow down or rev up depending on the condition of the road. It does all this without affecting the engine’s performance at any time.

The first manual transmission was introduced by a company called Warner Gear (now BorgWarner) in 1927. It was a four speed gearbox with an H-shaped pattern. It helped the car achieve high speeds with ease and at no discomfort to the occupants. In 1930, an improved technology was introduced. Car manufacturers were now encouraged to try out different technologies in gearboxes. One such noticeable improvement was in the Buick Series 40 from Chrysler Corporation in 1939 where springs were employed to exert high pressure on the clutch plates while the driver was required only to apply light pressure on the clutch pedal to start or stop the car. However, the system soon saw several technical problems and became redundant.

After weighing other options, Chrysler settled for a fluid drive system in which the clutch pedal was operated in two vaned plates. Power was transmitted through shearing action in low viscosity mineral oil. Through this new concept drivers could stop the car without using the clutch, while leaving the gear in high mode. However, this system too did not find many takers and was eventually dropped.

The next new system to be developed used a sliding spur gearbox with three or four forward gears and a reverse gear integrated into it. This was the beginning of the modern gear box. The shifter slid a spur gear into the desired position to employ engine power. In the early stages, the shifter moved with great stiffness and required skill to prevent the clutch teeth from clashing against each other. Later on, the clutch plates were synchronized with the shifter so that the parts moved in unison. The only hurdle left for the driver was that the shifter needed to move simultaneously with the accelerator pedal, clutch pedal and the gearshift model.

Transmission design remained nearly the same for several years to come until the first automatic transmission was developed. The automatic transmission was introduced first in some luxury cars before it was adapted to small cars. Though automatic transmissions became popular due to ease of use, many people today still prefer manual transmissions on their cars.