Transmissions
The Muncie, Indiana, plant under New Venture Gear produced the NV5600, NV4500, NV3500, and NV3550 light truck transmissions.
| Industry | Vehicle Transmissions |
|---|---|
| Predecessor |
|
| Founded | 1990 |
| Founder | |
| Defunct | August 20, 2012 |
| Fate | Dissolved |
| Successor | Magna Powertrain |
| Headquarters | , |
| Parent | Magna Powertrain |
New Venture Gear was an automobile and light truck transmission company that was started in 1990 as the first-ever joint venture between any of the Big Three U.S. automakers. General Motors and Chrysler Corporation were the participants. Operation and management of Chrysler's New Process Gear plant in Syracuse, New York, and GM's underutilized Hydramatic transmission plant in Muncie, Indiana, were shifted to New Venture Gear Company. [1]
In 1902, Thomas W. Warner formed the Warner Gear Company in Muncie, Indiana, to manufacture automobile parts, steering, and transmission gears. In 1919, General Motors purchased the T. W. Warner Company, including its land and buildings. In 1920, GM reopened the plant under the name Muncie Products to manufacture transmissions and steering gear for their Oakland, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, and GMC Truck divisions. In 1932, GM closed the Muncie Products plant and consolidated operations to other divisions in response to the failing economy of the Great Depression.
The Chevrolet division reopened the plant in 1935 to build car and truck transmissions. World War II halted non-military vehicle production and the plant was converted to serve the needs of the U.S. military until the war ended. The 1950s and 1960s saw expansion and growth. In the 1970s and 1980s, GM swapped the plant to many different GM divisions, ending with Detroit Diesel Allison in 1984 and GM Hydramatic in 1986. [2]
In 1888, Thomas W. Meachem founded the New Process Rawhide Company in Baldwinsville, New York. In the late 1890s, New Process Rawhide moved operations to Syracuse after a fire. In 1913, Thomas W. Meachem reorganized New Process Rawhide with one of his partners, Artemus Vosburgh. The company was renamed New Process Gear to reflect the new corporate direction. In 1954, after a succession of owners including Willys-Overland, [3] New Process Gear became a subsidiary of Chrysler Corporation. [4]
In 1990, the Hydramatic Muncie plant owned by GM and New Process Gear owned by Chrysler formed a joint GM–Chrysler venture called New Venture Gear. [5]
In February 2002, General Motors sold its minority 36% stake in the New Venture Gear company to DaimlerChrysler and the Muncie Transmission plant reverted to GM control. [6] GM changed the plant name to "Manual Transmissions of Muncie." The T.W. Warner Muncie plant closed in mid-2006 after a century of operation and the property was turned over to Delaware County Indiana. The GM Muncie Transmission plant was demolished soon after turnover to the county. [7] The Syracuse New Process remained with New Venture Gear.
In 2004, Magna International purchased 80% of New Venture Gear from DaimlerChrysler and put it under Magna Drivetrain. [8] Magna purchased the remaining 20% interest in 2007. [9] The New Process gear plant remained property of DaimlerChrysler. Chrysler then leased the facilities to Magna. [10] This lease arrangement made it difficult to compete with the European manufacturing operation Magna directly purchased located in Roitzsch, Germany. [11] A downturn in Jeep demand combined with DaimlerChrysler not replacing the Dodge Neon sharply curtailed demand for the Syracuse New Process Gear plant production. In 2009, design and engineering services were moved to Troy, Michigan, and Magna International announced its intent to close the Syracuse plant. [12] The Syracuse New Process Gear plant had been planned for closure in November 2011, but was pushed back to the first quarter of 2012. [13]
After 124 years in operation, on Thursday, August 24, 2012, New Process Gear ended production and closed their doors for the last time. [14] [15]
The Muncie, Indiana, plant under New Venture Gear produced the NV5600, NV4500, NV3500, and NV3550 light truck transmissions.
The Syracuse New Process Gear plant produced transfer cases for all of the "Big Three"—Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. The NV247 all-wheel drive transfer case, sold by Chrysler's Jeep division as the "Quadra-Trac II," the manual transaxle for the Dodge Neon and PT Cruiser (T-350), and manual transaxles for European-export Chrysler minivans (T-650 and T-750) were the bulk of the plant's last years of production.
The model numbers of the transfer case consists of the manufacturer, the number of speeds/gears, the strength (1–7), and a number from 1–9 describing the type. The following table delineates the format: [16]
| Manufacturer | Number of speeds/gears | Strength | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| NP = New Process Gear NV = New Venture Gear | 1 = One speed (high range) 2 = Two speed (high and low range) | 1 (low) to 7 (high) | 1 = Part-time 4WD 2 = Full-time 4WD 3 = Electronic shift 4 = Not used 5 = Torsen-type differential 6 = Computer-controlled multi-plate wet clutch 7 = GeroDisc 8 = Not used 9 = Viscous coupling |
| Model | Full-Time High | High Lock | Low range | 2WD | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 119 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes (Viscous) |
| 125 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes (Open) |
| 128 | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes (Open) |
| 129 | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes (Viscous) |
| 136 | |||||
| 147 | Yes | No | No | No (GeroDisc) | |
| 149 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes (Viscous) |
| 203 | Yes | Yes | 2.01:1 | No | Yes (Open) |
| 205 | No | Yes | 1.96:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 207 | No | Yes | 2.61:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 208 | No | Yes | 2.61:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 219 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes (Viscous) |
| 228 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (Open) |
| 229 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (Viscous) |
| 231 | No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 233 | No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | |
| 236 [17] | Yes | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | |
| 241 | No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 241OR | No | Yes | 4.0:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 242 | Yes | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | Yes (Open) |
| 243 | Yes | No | Yes | ||
| 244 | Yes | Yes | 2.72:1 | No | Yes (Open) |
| 245 | Yes | No | 2.72:1 | No | Yes (Clutch) |
| 246 | Yes | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | |
| 247 | Yes | No | 2.72:1 | No | No (GeroDisc) |
| 249 | Yes | No (Pre 96), Yes (96+) | 2.72:1 | No | Yes (Viscous) |
| 261 | No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 263 | No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | |
| 271 | No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
| 273 | No | Yes | 2.72:1 | Yes | No (Locked) |
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis North America, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above Plymouth.
The Mercedes-Benz Group AG is a German multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacturers. Daimler-Benz was formed with the merger of Benz & Cie., the world's oldest car company, and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft in 1926. The company was renamed DaimlerChrysler upon the acquisition of American automobile manufacturer Chrysler Corporation in 1998, and was again renamed Daimler AG upon divestment of Chrysler in 2007. In 2021, Daimler AG was the second-largest German automaker and the sixth-largest worldwide by production. In February 2022, Daimler was renamed Mercedes-Benz Group as part of a transaction that spun-off its commercial vehicle segment as an independent company, Daimler Truck.
Magna International Inc. is a Canadian parts manufacturer for automakers. It is one of the largest companies in Canada and was recognized on the 2020 Forbes Global 2000. The company is the largest automobile parts manufacturer in North America by sales of original equipment parts; it has ranked consistently in the Fortune Global 500 list for 20 years in a row since 2001. It produces automotive systems, assemblies, modules, and components, which are supplied to General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, as well as BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Toyota, Tesla, and Tata Motors, among others.
The Pontiac Catalina is a full-size automobile produced by Pontiac from 1950 to 1981. Initially, the name was a trim line on hardtop body styles, first appearing in the 1950 Chieftain Eight and DeLuxe Eight lines. In 1959, it became a separate model as the "entry-level" full-size Pontiac.
Detroit Diesel Corporation(DDC) is an American diesel engine manufacturer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. It is a subsidiary of Daimler Truck North America, which is itself a wholly owned subsidiary of the multinational Daimler Truck AG. The company manufactures heavy-duty engines and chassis components for the on-highway and vocational commercial truck markets. Detroit Diesel has built more than 5 million engines since 1938, more than 1 million of which are still in operation worldwide. Detroit Diesel's product line includes engines, axles, transmissions, and a Virtual Technician service.
Global Hybrid Cooperation, formerly Advanced Hybrid System 2 (AHS2), is a set of hybrid vehicle technologies jointly developed by General Motors, Daimler, and Chrysler LLC, with BMW joining in 2005. It uses 2 or 3 planetary gearsets in an automatic transmission: one on the internal combustion engine (ICE) side paired with a second, forming the compound split, and possibly one third additional planetary gearset to multiply the number of fixed gear ratios. General Motors has stopped using the "AHS2" name as of 2006, preferring to call it simply a two-mode hybrid system.
Hydramatic is an automatic transmission developed by both General Motors' Cadillac and Oldsmobile divisions. Introduced in 1939 for the 1940 model year vehicles, the Hydramatic was the first mass-produced fully-automatic transmission developed for passenger automobile use.
Turbo-Hydramatic or Turbo Hydra-Matic is the registered tradename for a family of automatic transmissions developed and produced by General Motors. These transmissions mate a three-element turbine torque converter to a Simpson planetary geartrain, providing three forward speeds plus reverse.
The Powerglide is a two-speed automatic transmission designed by General Motors. It was available primarily on Chevrolet from January 1950 through 1973, although some Pontiac models also used this automatic transmission after the fire at the Hydra-Matic factory in 1953. Powerglides were used extensively on Pontiacs produced for the Canadian market with Chevrolet powertrains. They were also used with Nova engines in the DJ-5A Jeeps produced 1968-1970 by Kaiser-Jeep and widely used as delivery vehicles by the United States Post Office. When introduced on upper-level Chevrolet models in 1950, the Powerglide represented the first automatic transmission offered in a low-priced automobile; in contrast, Ford did not offer their automatic transmission until 1951, while Plymouth car buyers had to wait until 1954. The transmission was simple and very durable, which satisfied customers.
The 4L80-E is a series of automatic transmissions from General Motors. Designed for longitudinal engine configurations, the series included 4 forward gears. It was the 4-speed electronically commanded evolution of the 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 400, first produced in October 1963. 4L80-Es were optioned only in Chevrolet/GMC pickups, vans, and commercial vehicles, and the Hummer H1. It was also adopted by Rolls-Royce in 1991 and modified after extensive testing, and used initially in the Bentley Continental R, and subsequently other Rolls-Royce and Bentley vehicles. The 4L80 and 4L85 were built at Willow Run Transmission in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
The New Venture Gear 3500, commonly called NV3500, is a 5-speed overdrive manual transmission manufactured by New Venture Gear and used by GM and Dodge in compact and full-size light trucks.
It can be identified by its two-piece aluminum case with integrated bell housing and top-mounted tower shifter.
The New Venture Gear 4500, colloquially known as NV4500, is a 5-speed manual transmission manufactured by New Venture Gear and used in General Motors and Chrysler products from 1991 to 2007.
Toledo Propulsion Systems is a 2.8 million square feet; 151 acres General Motors transmission factory in Toledo, Ohio.
The Getrag 282 transmission was a 5-speed manual transaxle designed by Getrag for Chevrolet. It is sometimes referred to as the Muncie 282 or the Muncie Getrag 282, as the transmission was manufactured by the Muncie, Indiana manual transmission plant. It has been used in various front-wheel drive transverse engine applications including the Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac Sunbird, Pontiac Grand Am, Chevrolet Beretta and the Oldsmobile Achieva. It was also used in the mid-engined rear-wheel drive Pontiac Fiero. In its later years, the Getrag 282 was manufactured by New Venture Gear and renamed the NVG T550.
Vehicles made by American Motors Corporation (AMC) and Jeep incorporated a variety of transmissions and transfer case systems. This article covers transmissions used in the following vehicle models and years:
General Motors India Private Limited was a subsidiary of General Motors for its operations in India. General Motors had 93% stake in this partnership and the remaining 7% was held by SAIC. It was the 5th largest automobile manufacturing company in India after Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors and Mahindra. After 21 years of operations in India, General Motors ceased selling cars in India by the end of 2017 as a part of its global restructuring actions.
In the United States, the automotive industry began in the 1890s and, as a result of the size of the domestic market and the use of mass production, rapidly evolved into the largest in the world. The United States was the first country in the world to have a mass market for vehicle production and sales and is a pioneer of the automotive industry and mass market production process. During the 20th century, global competitors emerged, especially in the second half of the century primarily across European and Asian markets, such as Germany, France, Italy, Japan and South Korea. The U.S. is currently second among the largest manufacturers in the world by volume.
The Synchro-mesh 465 or SM465 is a heavy-duty, four-speed manual transmission built by General Motors for use in light and medium duty trucks from 1968 to 1991 at the factory in Muncie, Indiana; it was designed to replace the somewhat similar Muncie SM420 transmission, which had been in production since just after World War II.
Magna Powertrain is a major American manufacturer of transmission and drivetrain systems owned by Magna International. It was formed from multiple subsidiaries and acquisitions. In addition to producing transmission systems and drivetrain systems, they also provide metal-forming and engineering services.