The Automatic 50s

[jasonl]

I love how everything in the 50s was "O-matic" or "amatic". A play on the word "Automatic". Hydramatic (Chrysler), Unimatic (Frigidaire), Washamatic/Dishamatic (Apex), Duomatic (Bendix), even electronics such as Select-O-Matic (Seeburg), Micromatic (Magnavox) and even microwaves in the 80s; Touchmatic (Amana).

Other cool 50s'ish names: Automagic (Thor & Philco), Tel-U-Set (Tappan. What the heck does that mean anyway?).

Brianne, my personal Touchmatic :-D

 

[Brent-Aucoin]

How True

Fun that you pointed that out Jason!
I think it is great how the names can just roll off of your tounge. Very Catchy.
Brent

 

[tolivac]

How 'bout for you jukebox fans out there-Seeburg "Select-O-Matic"

 

[kenmore1978]

catchy names for things

Cars were King in this typeof thing

Cruise-O-Matic
Ford-O-Matic
Merc-O-Matic
Swift Sure power brakes (Ford)
Wonder Touch power brakes & power steering (Pontiac)
Tele-Touch Drive (Edsel)
UltraMatic (Packard automatic transmission)
Autronic Eye automatic headlight dimmer in GM cars. Name changed for 1960 to GuideMatic
Twilight Sentinel headlight switch (GM)
Mirror-Matic day-night mirrors (Chrysler Corp. cars)
Master Guide power steering (Ford)
Jet Away automatic transmission (Oldsmobile)
Pedal-Ease power brakes (Oldsmobile)
Seat-O-Matic power seat (Mercury)

 

[Cybrvanr]

even before "matic" was the thing, we had the "ola's" for instance:

"Motorola" car radios, and
"rock-ola" jukeboxes

I can think of a few "matics" that I like too.

"Veg-o-matic" everyone remebers those!
"U-Matic" VCR's by sony (refers to the shape of the tape path within the deck)
"Bunn-o-matic" coffee makers...a personal favorite funny name for me!

A prefix that became popular in the fifties and sixties with the advent of television was "tele". You had:

"Telechron" clocks in many of our vintage appliances
"Telecaster" guitars by Fender
"Tele-Games" by Sears (Atari 2600 clone)
...and you can't forget "Tele-tubbies"

In the eighties, electronics were big, and "tronic" became a popular suffix to names.

"audiotronics" record players in the classroom
"touch-tronic" programmable sewing machines from singer
"keytronic" typewriters and computer keyboards
"tip-tronic" transmissions in BMW's
"autotronic" headlight dimmers

In the ninties, we now have E-this and I-that. It all started with E-mail, and then came Apple computer's "I-Mac". "E" meaning electronic, and "I" meaning internet.

"I-books, I-pods, I-tunes" and other "I" stuff from apple
"I-power" engines in Toyotas
"E-machines" from Gateway computer
"E-control" from Crestron (home automation company)

BTW...the Hydra-matic was GM's transmission, Chrysler's was the "torque-flite" controlled by the famous pushbutton shifter

 

[jmirawm]

LMAO !!!!

JASON !!! I need to find out where to pick-up one of those "personal Touch-matics"! <p> how about the Crosley Stack-O-Matic: This original record changer features classic Stack-O-Matic technology. Just sit back and enjoy as the tone arm with its fully automatic swinging motion selects your next album and drops it gracefully on the platter.

 

[tolivac]

are the new "Crosely" "Stack-O-Matic" TT's made today anything like the original ones?I am betting the new ones are made in china or something.
In my doings with AM transmitters--RCA "Ampliphase"

 

[rickr]

Seeburg Select-O-Matic

Or the "Record Lath" As I call it... LOL!!

 

[rickr]

Seeburg Select-O-Matic

How about the "record lath" LOL!!

 

[veg-o-matic]

Ooooh. I've always loved anything "o-matic"! Guess you can tell, huh?
I also love anything "a-rama". Was it Frigidaires that had "Futuramic Styling"? And I seem to recall somewhere seeing a range (Kelvinator?) with something "Telematic Pict-O-Guide" controls. Or something like that.

veg. o-matic!

 

[rickr]

Food-O-Rama

Kelvinator Food-O-Rama

ps sorry about the double post.didnt think the first one went though ):
Rick

 

[Maytagluver]

One of my FAV's....HOOVER...DIAL-A-MATIC...where's the bag???
Beats as it sweeps as it cleans, ya know !!

Thanks ! !

Al

 

[mrcleanjeans]

automatic systomatic

Kirby Dual Sanitronic 50 & 80, the Metro Turbotronic, Seely PosturePedic,Whirl-a-Way, Waste King Universal Dispos-a-Way drain,, and,of course, Discuss-O-Mat

 

[mulls]

names

Lets not forget the cool names for records-Columbia "guaranteed high fidelity""360 sound"stereo
RCA "living stereo"
Capitol "full dimensional stereo"
and others.
BTW,can anyone advise on a 1958 Seeburg Selectomatic not working properly?If so I will send details.
Tom

 

[westytoploader]

Another Hoover name

Hoover's motorized power nozzle on Hoover canisters was called the Powermatic in the 1980's...

 

[kenwashesmonday]

Rambler (AMC) called their automatic "Flash-O-Matic" untill 1968 (unless you ordered "Shift Command").
The senior cars had push-button Flash-O-Matics untill 1962.
These were all Borg-Warner transmissions.

I always loved the O-Rama thing. We have a local Pizzarama.

Ken D.
Rama Lama Ding Dong

 

[rickr]

1950's GM Car shows

They were called "MOTORAMA"

 

[mrcleanjeans]

as a matic o fact

Then, there was the Eureka RotoMatic power team and Prince's song "A-U-T-O-matic."

 

[tolivac]

Mold-A-Rama

Anyone remember these-its not from the fifties-but the early 60's to present.I remember using these twice-once at Marineland of the Pacific and once at a place in florida-one of the many tourest places there-it made a gorilla.The Marineland machine made a dolphin.From a distance the machine looks like a large jukebox-up close its the Mold-A-Rama souvenier maker machine!You put a dollar in it and watched it make your item!!

http://replicationdevices.com