Vehicle transmissions are one of the essential parts of a car. The gears will shift up or down depending on the speed you need to go. When visionaries developed and reimagined automobile engines with automatic transmissions, everything about car driving and manufacturing changed. Read about the history of powerglide transmissions.
Humble Beginnings at General Motors
It all started at General Motors in the 1950s. At the time, most vehicle transmissions were solely manual—the majority of car owners didn’t know what it was like to operate a machine that changed gears for them. That is, until the inception of the powerglide transmission at General Motors. This was the first automatic transmission that became available to the masses at reasonable retail prices. The Chevrolet and Pontiac models opened up a whole new world of commercial vehicle options.
First of Its Kind
Powerglide transmissions were like nothing before them. The previous models would hitch and fail when transitioning from higher gears back to lower ones. Though planetary gears developed before the powerglide came onto the scene, they still didn’t yield the results automakers desired. General Motors came along with the hydraulic automatic transmission—the powerglide transmission. These transmissions added a fluid coupling component to the hydraulically controlled gearsets. The design enabled drivers to switch between four different speeds and reverse.
Powerglide Transmissions Today
When they first came out, powerglide transmissions came in one shape and form. But they evolved over time, moving from the cast iron powerglide to the aluminum powerglide. The powerglide transmission has proven its worth and durability time and time again—so much so, that many drag racing cars utilize these transmissions today.
The history of powerglide transmissions led us to modern-day automatic transmissions that seamlessly change gears on a dime. Because automatic transmissions are so commonplace, they often require fixing. If you need automatic transmission repair parts, reach out to our team at Transparts Warehouse. We can help you find the perfect solution to your auto repair needs.
