Cadillac Division, General Motors
As we all know, manual transmissions in new cars have been lingering on the precipice of extinction for years now, rendering bread-and-butter used cars nearly impossible to sell. We say we like three-pedal cars, but then there's that long stop-and-go highway commute with no free hands to work the phone or Big Gulp, because automatics are just easier.
The slushboxification of America began in the 1940 model year, when General Motors introduced the revolutionary new Hydra-Matic four-speed automatic transmission in Oldsmobile models (be sure to read Aaron Severson's definitive and thoroughly annotated history of the Hydra-Matic here). The Hydra-Matic wasn't the first automatic transmission, but it was the first affordable one that worked properly, and it changed the automotive world immediately.
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The original Hydra-Matic worked very well, and with such reliability that this 77-year-old example—in a 1941 Olds 98 that had sat abandoned in a Texas field for decades—held together for 607 brutal all-out race miles on a racetrack.
Here's the 1941 Oldsmobile brochure touting the new transmission, thanks to our friends at Old Car Brochures, to whom you should upload scans of any unique car brochures in your collection.
The question of who invented the automatic gearbox has a number of potential answers with competing claims as to who holds the distinction.
There are the early prototypes that hinted at a solution. There is the first patented version of an automatic gearbox – this would seem a good answer if only the gearbox wasn’t so unrecognisable from what we see nowadays.
Finally, there is the development of an automatic gearbox that came to define all future such units.
As with so many major developments, the invention did not happen in isolation, an inventor suddenly unveiling their finished product, a product so perfect that it then became the standard for decades more.
Let’s start the ignition and see where the joinery takes us as we try to answer that question – just who did invent the automatic gearbox?
Perhaps a key subtlety to consider is what we mean by the first automatic gearbox, is it the first project that could in any way be called an automatic gearbox or is it the first automatic gearbox you could look at and see a clear link with modern units?
In France, Louis-Rene Panhard and Emile Levassor developed what they thought was a form of automatic transmission, but when they attempted to run a demonstration in 1894 the unit broke. They ended up talking through the theory of how it might work via a chalkboard demonstration.
Good in theory…
All the way over in Boston, USA, the Sturtevant brothers were busy working on a two-speed automatic transmission that used centrifugal weights, these activated by the speed of the engine and automatically deactivating a clutch.
It was a great idea in theory, less so in practice. Its was a little more reliable than the Panhard-Levassor invention, but let’s just say you wouldn’t want to set off on a journey in any vehicle using the Sturtevant transmission without having a good supply of items to use in case of a breakdown.
Jumping forward to the 1920s, we find a genuine claimant to the title of being the inventor of the first automatic gearbox. Canadian Alfred Horner Munro ended up with the patent to back-up his claim, a Canadian patent in 1923 followed by similar in the UK (1924) and United States (1927).
Munro’s invention utilised a compressed air based system for the transmission, the problem is, for all the patents and the undeniable skill of the invention, it lacked power and was not practical.
Our trip around the globe next takes in Brazil and here we have genuine contenders for the title. José Braz Araripe and Fernando Lehly Lemos came up with the idea (or at least have the established claim) of using hydraulic pressure to handle shifts.
They didn’t produce the clear forerunner of modern gearboxes, but it was their ideas and prototypes that got sold to General Motors and would lead to what we would see as a recognisable automatics transmission.
Good enough for tanks…
At General Motors, they developed the Hydramatic system in 1932 ands this would go on to become popular in the 1940s.
The system used a flood coupling to transfer power and had four forward speeds and one in reverse. Manufacture of the unit for cars was halted as GM’s efforts went into the war effort, but the fact that the transmissions were then used in tanks made for a wonderful marketing opportunity. The system was ‘battled hardened’. The argument went that if it’s good enough or tanks in wars, it should be fine for a car on a road.
The system’s reliability is also shown by the fact that Rolls Royce licensed a version and used it in their cars for many years.
So, who did invent the automatic gearbox? GM produced the units that were finished, usable automatic gearboxes, but their work was built on the findings and developments of José Braz Araripe and Fernando Lehly Lemos. They feel like the key pair, they advanced automatic gearboxes to a point there there was the basis for a powerful, functional unit rather than something that simply had theoretical interest.
Modern Gearboxes:
At North West Transmissions, we don’t see too many gearboxes from the 1940s come in for repairs (we’d happily take the job on though!).
What we do facilitate is the repair or replacement of gearboxes with guaranteed refurbished units.
A family-run business, we have a truly superb reputation, this shown by our 4.9 out of 5 average rating from dozens of reviews on Google.
All reconditioned gearbxes come with guarantees for 12 months or 12,000 miles while reconditioned automatic units come with a re-manufactured torque converter that has a lifetime guarantee.
Our technicians are all highly skilled with vast experience in reconditioning and repairing all units – importantly their efficiency helps cut down the price of repairs and so too the cost.
Gearbox problems are all-too common. If you find yourself in need of a repair or reconditioned unit, that often being the more economical option in the long term, please contact us.
Call us on 0151 933 0257 or use our Contact Form.
Thanit WeerawanGetty Images
Automatic cars are some of the most popular vehicles available on the market. Before you choose a car, you need to decide which transmission is right for you. To do this, it is essential you review information about automatic and manual transmissions. The transmission types are not as different as they were in the past, but it is helpful when selecting a car to know what the differences are and how each transmission operates.
Here are a few important things to consider.
According to State Farm, an automatic car is an automobile with an automatic transmission that doesn't require a driver to shift gears manually. Transmissions, also known as gearboxes, help to direct the rotational force and speed of a car. Therefore, automatic transmissions switch gear ratios as the vehicle moves. An automatic transmission uses sensors that allow it to shift gears at the appropriate time by using the internal oil pressure. Shifting gears happens when the transmission is disconnected from the engine temporarily, which is handled by the torque converter.
You can tell if a car is automatic by observing its pedals. If an automobile has two pedals, it means it's an automatic. Manual cars include a third pedal — called a clutch pedal — that is slightly smaller than the brake pedal.
Types of Automatic Transmission in Automobiles
Car From Japan explains there are now various types of automatic transmissions available in modern automobiles. Here are some automatic transmission types:
- Torque converter automatic: This transmission type is the most popular type of automatic transmission in cars. The torque converter automatic transmission works by using a hydraulic fluid coupling or a torque converter connected to the engine's electronic control unit, allowing the transmission to take control of the vehicle.
- Continuously variable transmission (CVT): A CVT allows an "infinite" number of gear ratios that seamlessly help a vehicle to accelerate without gear shifts interrupting. CVT uses variable-width pulleys and a belt instead of fixed gears.
- Semi-automatic transmission (SAT): A semi-automatic has a clutch similar to a manual transmission, but the clutch is operated through electrohydraulic means and uses sensors, pneumatics, processors, and actuators.
- Dual-clutch transmission: A dual-clutch transmission or direct-shift gearbox is highly similar to a manual transmission. The difference is that a dual-clutch is controlled by a car's computer and contains two clutches instead of one. One clutch controls the odd gears, and the other runs the even gears.
- Tiptronic transmission: These automatic transmissions provide drivers with the option to switch out of automatic to allow for more control over the vehicle's performance, relying on the driver to change gears while performing like an automatic engine. Tiptronic transmissions were created by Porsche.
History of Automatic Transmission
According to Auto Repair San Antonio, just over 100 years ago, manual transmissions were the only option for drivers until the Sturtevant brothers of Boston attempted the first automatic transmission in 1904. Weights and bands operated their two-speed "horseless carriage" gearbox. The automatic transmission they created was often unreliable since weights often flew apart, causing the transmission to fail.
An essential development that helped inventors arrive at an automatic transmission was the planetary transmission used in a vehicle's gearbox. And the first used planetary transmission was in the Wilson-Pilcher. The transmission built between 1900 and 1907 operated using two epicyclic gear trains that allowed four forward gears to be chosen by adjusting a single gear change lever.
Alfred Horner Munro, a Canadian steam engineer, designed the first automatic transmission in 1921 and patented the transmission in 1923. He created the automatic transmission with four forward gears and no reverse or parking gears, and he used air pressure instead of hydraulic fluid. General Motors used the transmission in the Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac between 1937 and 1938.
The first hydraulic transmission was invented by Brazilian engineers Fernando Lehly Lemos and José Braz Araripe in 1932. General Motors purchased the prototype and developed the transmission into the Hydra-Matic transmission. This transmission was mass-produced in 1940, changing the course of the automobile industry. During the Second World War, General Motors made tanks and other military equipment with the new automatic hydraulic transmission.
By 1948, Buick introduced the first hydraulic transmission with a torque converter. They called this transmission the Dynaflow.
When Was the Semi-automatic Transmission Developed?
Autoindustriya.com says REO and General Motors began making semi-automatic transmissions in 1934, which operated with ease compared to a fully manual transmission. Their pioneer transmission designs continued to offer a clutch for drivers to use, which engaged the engine with the transmission.
Advantages of an automatic car
Budget Direct explains that both transmissions have their unique advantages, and preferences may vary by the driver. Here are a few benefits the automatic car offers drivers:
- Easier to use in heavy traffic. Manual cars take more work to start, stop, and speed up; in heavy traffic, starting and stopping a vehicle can be tedious. You can easily start and stop automatic cars by pushing one pedal.
- The transmission shifts quickly and smoothly. Drivers don't have to put in extra work to shift the transmission in an automatic car because it shifts for them. The driver and passengers inside the vehicle typically can't feel when the transmission shifts in an automatic car.
- Learning how to drive in an automatic is easier. Driving a manual vehicle takes more practice than driving an automatic car. There are more limbs involved with operating a manual car. Also, it takes less time to master driving automatic cars.
- Reduced risk of stalling. Manual vehicles can be stalled accidentally at a stoplight by a driver. Automatic vehicles stall less often unless the car has a mechanical problem.
- Better in areas with hills.
Disadvantages of an Automatic car
The AA says there are many benefits to owning an automatic vehicle, but automatic cars also have a few disadvantages. Here are some issues that may come with owning an automatic car:
- They can be more expensive to purchase. Automatic cars can be about $4,000 more expensive than their manual equivalents. However, this depends on the vehicle make and model. Also, some cars are only available in automatic.
- It may impair a driver's focus. Driving a manual car requires more focus since the driver must shift the gears themselves. An automatic car takes less focus to drive. This means a driver may decide to engage in distracting activities, which can lead to accidents.
- It may reduce the fuel economy. Manual vehicles usually have better fuel efficiency than automatic cars, but this also depends on the make and model of the automobile.
Automatic cars will only continue to gain popularity. Being well informed is the key to choosing the right one for you.
Sources:
//www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/auto-and-vehicles/manual-vs-automatic-transmissions
//carfromjapan.com/article/industry-knowledge/automatic-transmission-type-explained/
//www.autorepairsanantonio.com/40-automatic-transmission-history
//www.budgetdirect.com.au/blog/manual-vs-automatic-car-transmission-pros-cons.html