A manually operated automotive transmission has a cluster gear on which several forward drive input gears and the reverse drive input gear are formed integrally. An auxiliary coutershaft carries a fifth speed gear continuously engaged with a gear formed on the input shaft. A reverse idler slides on a stub shaft into engagement with a reverse pinion on the input shaft and a reverse output gear. The fifth gear synchronizer sleeve is moved away from the fifth gear when reverse gear is selected because the fifth gear selector position is in the same plane as the reverse drive position. A gearset brake is actuated by movement of the synchronizer sleeve to prevent rotation of the fifth speed gear relative to the input shaft during the initial movement of the selector shaft toward the reverse drive position. The brake mechanism is released as the selector shaft is moved fully to the reverse drive position.
