Learning to Drive in the 1960s

[Kalee20]

I guess the gearbox had no synchromesh on first gear, so unless skilled in double-decluthing, you couldn't change down on the move without a graunch - and on a hill upwards it's no easy matter because the vehicle slows down faster than the engine anyway, once in the intermediate neutral. (Speaking from experience: I have a 1 in 4 hill where I live, and I have a Land-Rover with no synchro on first or on second).

And reverse gear was frequently even lower than first, to help with slow-speed manoeuvring.