underdriven.
An auxiliary speed-reducing gear in a motor vehicle which may be brought into operation in addition to the ordinary gears to provide an additional set of gear ratios.
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society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > powered vehicle > parts and equipment of motor vehicles > [noun] > transmission > specific gear
top1906
top-drive1909
overdrive1921
underdrive1929
N1937
park1963
1929 S.A.E. Trans. (Soc. Automotive Engineers) 24 335/1 The functioning of a transmission with either an overdrive or an underdrive through a double-internal-gear set in combination with a suitable clutch is exactly equivalent to that of a two-speed axle.
1941 Automobile Engineer XXXI. 48/1 Chrysler's new ‘underdrive’ transmission, when coupled with the fluid drive and conventional clutch, is one of the outstanding mechanical innovations of the year.
1981 Sunday Express 4 Oct. (Colour Suppl.) /4 (advt.) The only car with underdrive.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1986; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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