Automatic transmission

Rare card · No. 47595

An automatic transmission (AT) or automatic gearbox is a multi-speed transmission used in motor vehicles. The 1904 Sturtevant "horseless carriage gearbox" is often considered to be the first true automatic transmission. The first mass-produced automatic transmission was General Motors' Hydra-Matic, introduced in Oldsmobile models for the 1940 model year. Automatic transmissions are especially prevalent in vehicular drivetrains, particularly those subject to intense mechanical acceleration and frequent idle/transient operating conditions; commonly commercial/passenger/utility vehicles, such as buses and waste collection vehicles.

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