PowerFlite
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| PowerFlite | |
| Manufacturer: | Chrysler Corporation |
|---|---|
| Production: | 1954–1961 |
| Predecessor: | M6 Presto-Matic Hy-Drive |
| Successor: | TorqueFlite |
| Class: | 2-speed automatic |
| Similar: | Ford-O-Matic |
PowerFlite was the name of a two speed automatic transmission produced by the Chrysler Corporation. Chrysler was the last of Detroit's Big Three automakers to introduce a fully automatic transmission, some 14 years after General Motors had introduced Oldsmobile's Hydramatic automatic transmission and nearly three years after Ford's Ford-O-Matic.
By comparison, even independent automakers Studebaker and Packard had beaten Chrysler into the marketplace with automatic transmissions; Packard's Ultramatic debuted in 1949, and Studebaker's Automatic Drive was introduced in 1950.
The competitive situation dictated that Chrysler had to come up with something to satisfy buyers who didn't want to shift for themselves, so in 1953, Chrysler built a very few late-season Imperials with the new PowerFlite on the way to its full introduction for the '54 model year.
A two-speed unit, PowerFlite was simple to operate and simple in its construction as well, with fewer parts than competing transmissions. It was also quite durable, being used behind every Chrysler Corporation engine from the lowly Plymouth Six to the Imperial's Hemi V-8.
Production of PowerFlite began in 1954, but was quickly eclipsed by Chrysler's launch of its first three speed automatic transmission, TorqueFlite, in 1956. Despite this, the simple and durable PowerFlite remained available through the 1961 model year, after which it was discontinued.
