Gearshift apparatus for a vehicle

A gearshift apparatus for controlling an automatic speed change gear attached to the body of a vehicle, comprising:

• a shift lever rockably supported on the vehicle body;
• gate means for guiding the shift lever for movement, the gate means including a first gate having a plurality of shift positions, including an automatic transmission position in which the transmission stage of the speed change gear is changed automatically in accordance with the driving conditions of the vehicle, and designed so that the transmission stage corresponding to one of the shift positions is selected when the shift lever is situated in the one shift position, a second gate having one end connected to the first gate and the other end and extending in a direction different from the extending direction of the first gate, and a third gate connected to the other end of the second gate, extending in a direction different from the extending direction of the second gate, and having shift positions for manual operation;
• supporting means attached to the vehicle body;
• a linkage member movably supported by the supporting means and engaged with the shift lever so as to move integrally with the shift lever when the shift lever moves along the second gate and to allow the movement of the shift lever and be restrained from moving along the second gate when the shift lever moves along the first gate or the third gate;
• and
• retaining means provided between the supporting means and the linkage member and adapted to generate a retaining force for retaining the shift lever at the one and the other end of the second gate as the shift lever moves along the second gate.