An apparatus is provided for use in a vehicle having an engine driven transmission which includes a plurality of gear ratios. The apparatus includes a sensor adapted to sense a parameter indicative of vehicle speed and responsively produce a vehicle speed signal. A downshift switch is provided to controllably produce a downshift signal. An engine speed sensor senses engine speed and responsively produces an engine speed signal. A controller is adapted to receive the vehicle speed, engine speed, and downshift signals, process the vehicle speed signal to produce a transmission control signal, produce a down shift enable value as a function of the engine speed signal, and modify the transmission control signal to correspond to a lower gear ratio in all but the lowest gear ratio when the downshift signal is received and a value responsive to the vehicle speed signal is less than the down shift enable value signal. An actuator is adapted to receive the transmission control signal and responsively control the transmission gear ratio.