Abstract: Disclosed herein is a marine propulsion device comprising a propulsion unit including a rotatably supported propeller, and an engine drivingly connected to said propeller and comprising an engine block, a spark timing control mechanism rotatably supported by the engine block for spark advancing and retarding movement between a minimum spark advance position and a maximum spark advance position, a throttle supported by the engine block for movement between idle and full speed positions, a control lever supported by the engine block for movement in opposite directions and adapted to be connected to an operator controlled actuating member, and a control linkage connected to the lever and to the throttle and to the spark timing control mechanism, and operative in response to control lever movement, for displacing the throttle from the idle position to a first intermediate position between the idle and the full speed positions without displacing the spark advance position, for displacing the throttle from the firs