Most of the Dodge Dart 4-door sedans produced in the mid-1970's had automatic
transmission, and those few which had manual transmission usually either had three-speeds
on the column ("three on the tree"), or a four-speed floor shift ("four on the floor").
So, how did we wind up with "three on the floor"?Well, my mother has a very strong preference for manual transmissions. In fact, she refuses to own a car with an automatic. So, when she and my father were special-ordering their new 1974 Dodge Dart, it was a foregone conclusion that the car would have manual transmission. They decided to get a three-speed column shifter, which would be very similar to her 1966 Dodge Dart (may it rust in pieces--totalled in 1984). Fine. Their order was submitted.
A short time after this, my mother received a call from the dealer. "Mrs. Newhouse," said the manager or whoever it was, "Because your car will have air conditioning, we will need to put the manual shifter on the floor. Wouldn't you really rather have an automatic transmission instead?" Well, my mother had no intention of getting this or any car with automatic, and she replied, "No. If you must put the shifter on the floor, put the shifter on the floor." And that is the way the car was built.
To this day, it is unclear as to whether the caller from the dealer was telling the truth. Was a three-speed column shift and air conditioning truly an impossible combination, or was the guy trying to switch us over to automatic transmission and make a little more money? I suspect he thought that nobody would order a four-door sedan equipped with a front bench seat AND a manual floor shifter. He did not count on my mother. . . .
I have not yet seen a car equipped like ours, and I would be very interested to learn if there are others out there with these characteristics: