According to a blog released by Car and Driver, the manual transmission is one of the least-evolved components of a modern car along with the actual wheels. As a matter of fact, the brand-new 2015s model stick shift and the three-speed gearbox that can be found in a 70s car have huge similarities.
In the year 1936, Jan Handy intelligently created a ten-minute instructional film to explain the high-tech mechanical concepts of the day. The film showcased the use of the gears in such a way that anybody would be able to understand.
This masterpiece is a great treasure that can pass up until now. The film features brilliant visual aids, excellent mechanical analysis, and charming old-timey voice-over work, added Car and Driver.
"Spinning Levers" as the film is called, was financed by Chevrolet to share additional knowledge to people by explaining how a manual transmission works.
Chevrolet also side-benefitted as it highlighted the then-new synchromesh technology that was in the '36 Chevy lineup. It's basically one of the first advertorials, Car and Driver reported.
The instructional film is a creation of a rambunctiously productive former Olympic swimmer, Henry Jamison "Jam" Handy. He was also known for his short informational films for soldiers, salesmen, mechanics, and the average layperson.
Car and Driver also described how the instructional film goes. The car differential was narrated and explained by a simple representation of three sticks of wood. By simply understanding its basic concept, it will become easier to comprehend the additional complexities of a working differential.
It was also reported that Jamison, a former student of the University of Michigan, had been expelled from the school after writing a sensationalized article in the Chicago Tribune. His article headlined "Learn Sly Cupid's Tricks. Students at Ann Arbor Take Lessons in Love Making," and, as a person, was described to be the great-grandfather of clickbait.
Jamison reportedly continued his daily swimming routine until he died at the age of 97.