I'm certain this will be an incomplete answer, but to get us started - there are 5-speed Regina freewheels listed in the 1952 E. Bozzi catalogue, and 6-speed Regina freewheels listed in the 1964 Reliable Cycles catalogue.
Aldo Ross
Middletown, Ohio
> Gooday all,
>
> I haven't posted for a while but I've been reading the digests regularly.
> I'd like to get information -- anecdotal is fine -- about when 5 - 6 - 7 -
> 8 - 9 - and 10 speed rear clusters came in to general use. I suppose that
> 7 - 10 are outside the perview of this list so if anyone wants to post to
> me privately about those combinations I would appreciate your thoughtful
> contribution.
>
>>From my own knowledge, I saw my first 10-speed (5-speed cluster) about
>>1964. I bought a 15-speed (Geminiani) in 1966 which was the first triple
>>chainwheel bike I had ever seen up to that time. I think I saw my first
>>6-speed about 1972 which was basically an extended Regina 5-speed with the
>>smallest two cogs joined together.
>
> Erik Siverson
> Gilroy, Cal.