Transmission Trivia

[Guest]

Lets see if we can list all the different names that ad excecutives invented to make their transmissions sound better. <BR>i.e. Turbo-Hydramatic.<BR>

[brad54]

You mean like Dyna-Flash? Are we limiting this to GM? Didn't Ford have the Cruise-O-Matic? <BR>Man, those names alone had to shave at least a second off the 0-60 mph times and add 10 miles per hour to the top end back in the day!

[Guest John Chapman]

Hey, you could go one further and list the marketing names each division gave to the same transmission.<P>Buick ST 300 was also known as:<BR>Olds 'Jetaway'<BR>Pontiac 'Tempest Torque' (less the variable speed converter)<P>The 'Cruise-O-Matic' name actually covered a number of Ford automatics (Merc-O-Matic in the Mercury), but if I recall was for all three speeds. Two speed automatics were known as 'Ford-O-Matics'

[Centurion]

My favorite was Packard's "Twin Ultramatic Drive".<P>Buick renamed its Dynaflows for '59 to "Twin Turbine" and "Triple Turbine". Interestingly, just as the '59 Buicks were hitting the showrooms, PanAm was launching the first Boeing 707's into commercial airline service. The new "turbine-powered" jetliners were a revolution in terms of speed and smoothness. How fortunate that Buick picked a name that reminded us of flight for its new delta-winged wonders! When I accelerate my Triple Turbine '59 Electra, the transmission's whine even reminds me of the sound those 707's made while roaring down the runways!

[Guest my3buicks]

There's always the Super Turbine 2 Speed and the Super Turbine 3 Speed offered by Buick<P>------------------<BR>Keith Bleakney BCA# 11475<P>1967 Technical Advisor<P>1 - 1967 (3517)

[Guest]

Let's not forget about Chrysler's "Torque-Flite."<P>Didn't Edsel have a "Select-O-Matic?"<P>------------------<BR><A HREF="http://advancedthrust.com/mylesabre.htm" TARGET=_blank>1962 LeSabre</A><P>Visit my 1962 Buick Site "<A HREF="http://advancedthrust.com" TARGET=_blank>Advanced Thrust</A>"

[geno]

How about Power-Glide, the Chevy 2 speed,<BR>or the 50's Chevy Turbo-Glide.<P>------------------<BR>Gene;<BR>84 Riv,85 Riv, 95 Ultra

[Guest]

I always loved these names. Edsel had Teletouch (with pushbuttons in the steering wheel hub!) & the Mile-O-Matic, Merc also had MultiDrive, Lincoln had Turbodrive. Chrysler's 2-speed auto before the TorqueFlite was PowerFlite, and early 50s MoPars had Gyromatic and Fluid Drive. GM also had Dual Range HydraMatic and the Strato-Flight HydraMatic. Stude had the Flightomatic. <P>Many other items were also named: Vista-Vision windshields, Wonder Touch power steering, Electro-Cruise cruise control, etc etc. Good stuff!

[Guest]

How about Chrylsers "Fluid Drive" or if I may go there....."Honda Matic" <P>If you have never heard the Ray Charles song "It shoulda been me" you have got to get a copy. He sings "It should have been me, driven that Dynaflow". It is a great song not counting the verse about the Dynaflow. <P>------------------<BR>buickfam@aol.com<BR>Life long Buick Fan.<BR>1965 Skylark H/T<BR>1965 Gran Sport Convertible<BR>1948 Chevy Pickup with 401 Buick.<BR>"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

[Guest]

I think the Japanese names are the funniest. Toyotas first two-speed automatic was called a Toyoglide.

[Guest]

I remember in '58 when Buick came out with the Flight Pitch Dynaflow, didn't have the Low position, but a Grade Retard position on the pendant. The Chevy Turbo Glide of '58 was of the same idea.

[Guest]

dont forget, when dogde put the fluid-drive in a truck, they called it: truck-o-matic <P><P>------------------<BR>allan<BR>--------------<BR>50 special, 455/th400<BR>64 stude gt hawk, 289/auto<BR>76 poncho GP, 400/th400

[Guest]

So they have a Ford-o-matic and a Merc-o-matic, but is there a Linc-o-Matic?

[Guest]

The fifties Lincolns used the Dual Range Hydramatics bought from GM in the early fifties. Chrysler's idea was just a torque converter behind the clutch. It was used under various names with Dodge,DeSoto, etc.The earliest Chrysler two speed auto was called the Powerflite, the three speed was the Torqueflite. I think all of the automatics were cast iron cases before the sixties, I'm not sure. The Powerglide Chevy became an aluminum case in 62 or thereabouts. Remember that Pontiac and Olds used the RotoHydramatic from 61 to 63...it was a three speed unit. In sixty four Buick went to the Super Turbine 400 for the three speed and the Super Turbine 300 for the two speed.