Hy-Drive

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Hy-Drive
Manufacturer	Chrysler Corporation
Production	1953–1954
Predecessor	Presto-Matic
Successor	PowerFlite
Class	3-speed manual with torque converter

The Hy-Drive was a Chrysler Corporation transmission produced in 1953. It was a hybrid manual transmission with a torque converter like an automatic. Although Hy-Drive cars had a clutch pedal like a traditional manual transmission, it was only used put the car in gear. Once underway, the driver could upshift and downshift using the gear shift without using the clutch or even lifting off the accelerator.

The industry was caught by surprise by the advent of the automatic transmission in the early 1950s. General Motors' 1948 Hydra-Matic was a smash hit with the public, accounting for 80% of Pontiac division's sales by 1950. Chrysler had previously offered a Fluid Drive torque converter on their manual transmissions, and the Hy-Drive was an evolution of this. It was sold by Plymouth until the fully automatic PowerFlite was available in 1954. About 75,000 cars came equipped with this transmission.

[edit] Trivia

The Hy-Drive was so large that it required a complete reengineering of the engine compartment and transmission tunnel
Export Dodge and DeSoto cars could also be ordered with the Hy-Drive, and these used a Plymouth dashboard
Hy-Drive transmissions shared the engine's lubricating oil, requiring 11 quarts (10.4 L) for an oil change