[Diego]

This thread is somewhat curious.

3-on-the-tree was the standard transmission for most American cars till around 1970, when automatics started to be made standard for several full-size vehicles. I think the tranny continued to be standard for some through the late 1970s if not the early 1980s. I can try to find production info if interested.

But the OP asked about a 3-on-the-tree GTO, which is a completely different breed than your run-of-the-mill standard car with standard tranny, which prob numbered 7 figures in the 1960s. There's few cars like this GTO.

[Will]

Originally Posted by Diego

This thread is somewhat curious.

3-on-the-tree was the standard transmission for most American cars till around 1970, .... I think the tranny continued to be standard for some through the late 1970s if not the early 1980s. I can try to find production info if interested.

...

What do you mean by "standard?" Three on the tree is referring to a manual transmission with a column mounted shifter, NOT a floor shifter. That was quite rare. I've only ever seen less than a handful of them and NEVER seen one in a '70s car.

First car I ever drove was a '64 Nova wagon with a 6-cylinder and 3-on-the-tree.

Yes, manual transmissions were "standard equipment" with automatics being optional in most cars into the '70s, but the vast majority of manual transmissions utilized floor shifters.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by Will

What do you mean by "standard?" Three on the tree is referring to a manual transmission with a column mounted shifter, NOT a floor shifter. That was quite rare. I've only ever seen less than a handful of them and NEVER seen one in a '70s car..

I don't know how old you are, but a 3OTT tree was not rare when I was young. It was the standard transmission in most cars back in the 40's, 50's and 60's as they weren't putting floor shifts in cars with bench seats and an automatic was almost always an option. Yes, in the 70's the 3OTT tree became rare. I have owned or driven at least a dozen different '60's vintage cars ('60 Catalina, '65 Rambler, '69 Bel Air, '67 Biscayne and a multitude of U.S. Army fleet vehicles while stationed over in Germany)

Even in my 1949 Cadillac Series 75 factory limousine - the automatic was an OPTION - a 3OTT was the standard transimission setup for a limo...

[Diego]

Originally Posted by Will

Yes, manual transmissions were "standard equipment" with automatics being optional in most cars into the '70s, but the vast majority of manual transmissions utilized floor shifters.

That's so very not true.

Having a 3-speed on the floor (excepting pony cars) is a big exception, not the rule.