Automatic Drive

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Automatic Drive was the trade name for Studebaker Corporation’s first automatic transmission, designed in conjunction with Borg-Warner's Detroit Gear division. Studebaker was one of two independent American auto manufactures to invest in the development and tooling for automatic transmissions, the other being Packard and its Ultramatic product.

Automatic Drive, which combined a three-speed planetary gearset and a lock-up torque converter, debuted in early 1950 as a $201 option on all Studebaker models. Ford, which was without an automatic transmission in 1950, approached Studebaker about buying Automatic Drive units, however Studebaker's management refused and therefore lost out on what could have been significant "plus" business.

By 1955, Studebaker was forced to abandon Automatic Drive because of high production costs. Studebaker replaced Automatic Drive with a less expensive Borg-Warner unit built by the Warner Gear Division, ironically based on Ford's Ford-o-Matic, that Studebaker called Flight-O-Matic. Borg-Warner continued to build Studebaker's Automatic Drive and market the unit overseas. It was used by such British firms as Jaguar, Daimler, Humber and Ford Zephyr/Zodiac.

Studebaker 1897-1966 Vehicles Category (edit)
	Historic:
	Cars: Avanti \| Big Six \| Champion \| Commander \| Conestoga \| Electric car \| Cruiser \| Daytona \| Dictator \| Hawk \| Flight Hawk \| Gran Turismo Hawk \| Golden Hawk \| Power Hawk \| Silver Hawk \| Sky Hawk \| Land Cruiser \| Lark \| Light Four \| Light Six \| President \| Scotsman \| Special Six \| Speedster \| Standard Six \| Wagonaire
	Trucks: Champ \| Coupe Express \| E Series Truck \| M Series Truck \| M29 Weasel \| Scotsman \| Transtar \| Studebaker US6
	History: Studebaker \| Studebaker-Packard Corporation \| Studebaker Canada Ltd. \| Studebaker National Museum \| Studebaker Proving Grounds
	Associated tradenames: Automatic Drive \| Gravely Tractor \| Hill-holder \| Starlight (body type) \| STP
	Affiliated Automotive Brands: Clipper \| E-M-F Automobiles \| Erskine \| Mercedes-Benz \| Packard \| Packard Clipper \| Pierce-Arrow \| Rockne \| SPA Truck Company \| Studebaker-Garford \| Tincher
	People: Sherwood Egbert \| Albert Russel Erskine \| Raymond Loewy \| James J. Nance \| Brooks Stevens \| Clement Studebaker \| John Moehler Studebaker \| Harold Vance \| Gordon Grundy

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Categories: Auto part stubs | Studebaker | Automatic transmission tradenames | Studebaker transmissions

Studebaker 1897-1966 Vehicles Category (edit)
	Historic:
	Cars: Avanti \| Big Six \| Champion \| Commander \| Conestoga \| Electric car \| Cruiser \| Daytona \| Dictator \| Hawk \| Flight Hawk \| Gran Turismo Hawk \| Golden Hawk \| Power Hawk \| Silver Hawk \| Sky Hawk \| Land Cruiser \| Lark \| Light Four \| Light Six \| President \| Scotsman \| Special Six \| Speedster \| Standard Six \| Wagonaire
	Trucks: Champ \| Coupe Express \| E Series Truck \| M Series Truck \| M29 Weasel \| Scotsman \| Transtar \| Studebaker US6
	History: Studebaker \| Studebaker-Packard Corporation \| Studebaker Canada Ltd. \| Studebaker National Museum \| Studebaker Proving Grounds
	Associated tradenames: Automatic Drive \| Gravely Tractor \| Hill-holder \| Starlight (body type) \| STP
	Affiliated Automotive Brands: Clipper \| E-M-F Automobiles \| Erskine \| Mercedes-Benz \| Packard \| Packard Clipper \| Pierce-Arrow \| Rockne \| SPA Truck Company \| Studebaker-Garford \| Tincher
	People: Sherwood Egbert \| Albert Russel Erskine \| Raymond Loewy \| James J. Nance \| Brooks Stevens \| Clement Studebaker \| John Moehler Studebaker \| Harold Vance \| Gordon Grundy

Automatic Drive

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