1955 Cadillac update

[appliguy]

1963 was the 1st year for column shift automatics in Rambler

All Hydra-Matic equipped Ramblers made between 1954 and 1957 used a column gear shift lever with Nash's famous Selectro-Lift Starter. Selectro-Lift was a feature where you turned the ignition switch on and then pulled the gearshift lever toward you to activate the starter. That changed in 1958 when Rambler started using the Borg Warner Flight-O-Matic 3 speed push button automatic. Also if I am reading your last post right Mike you got the timeline a little mixed up. Powerglide appeared in 1950, the Livonia Hydra-Matic plant fire was in August 1953. Turbo Hydra-Matic came out in 1963 on the higher end Cadillac's and was available on big block Chevy's starting mid year 1965 coinciding with dropping of the 409 V8 and the introduction of the 396 V8. Powerglide remained in production until 1973 and was last offered on the Vega, and 6 cylinder and small block V8 Camaro's and Nova's as well as the 6 cylinder and small block V8 Chevelle's thru 1972. Also all 1965 Chrysler products with an automatic transmission had either a floor mounted or steering column mounted gear selector lever. PATRICK COFFEY

 

[warmsecondrinse]

That car is verging on pornographic.... or maybe that's just me.

The grands' '63 Pontiac Catalina had Reverse at the bottom, next to Low. Eddie's right; the owner's manual specifically stated it was to facilitate rocking out of snow.

If not the Catalina, another relative's car had P  N  <span style="text-decoration: underline;">' D ' </span> L  R. These were referred to 'Drive Left' and 'Drive Right'

 

Another car of my grands' family/friends had forward gears marked  D S L, 'S' was for 'Super'; the car started in 2nd gear and only shifted to 3rd 'to avoid transmission damage'.

 

Full disclosure: Some of my info on cars of this era came from the owners, some from the owner's manuals they let me read, and some from the 3 banker's boxes of mid-50's to late-60's Popular Mechanics and Popular Science mags I got hold of when I was about 14.  Tom McCahill, anyone?

 

[kenwashesmonday]

AMC switched to Chrysler automatic transmissions for model year 1972, except the big Wagoneer which used the GM THM 400.