<VV>Economy in 1959

[Padgett]

>  The TWO speed powerglide did not fit the "high performance image" of a 
> 140 or 180 hp engine, regardless if the 140 PG was still a strong 
> performer.  All car marketing for the 60's.

Don't think that was really a factor. Don't forget that GM did not have a 
"high performance" three speed automatic until the THM-400 was introduced 
in 1965 (and then only for 396 and above engines). Due to size issues 
(driveshaft angles AFAIR) the Corvette kept the PG through 1967.

Jetaway and Dynaflow were also two speeds (though Buick had a "switch 
pitch" torque converter that made it feel like a three speed - forrunner of 
the lock-up torque converter.

The Hydramatic was a four speed fluid drive (no torque multiplication) and 
the less said about the Pontiac Roto-Hydramatic three speed the better (we 
had a 64 GP with that trans and other than being weak it felt like a four 
speed with second missing - top out at about 35 mph in first and then an 
enormous drop in RPM to second.

In fact almost all small American cars at the time had two speed automatics 
and the Europeans had not gotten it right yet (in 1960 Rolls and Jag were 
buying BW type 35 automatics AFAIR), small cars had "clutchless" 
transmissions (Sax-o-mat) that still had to be shifted like the auchient 
Wilson "Pre-Selector". Put too big a shift knob on one and you were lable 
to find yourself sans drive.

Believe with the torque converter providing 2.5:1 multiplication at stall 
the 2 speed PG would stay with a four speed Hydromatic which was really the 
GM standard at the time. Ford had had the three speed cruise-o-matic since 
the early fifties (small cars got the 2-speed Ford-o-matic) and Chysler was 
just changing over from the Power-Flyte 2 speed to the three speed 
Torque-Flyte (1957 into)- the typewriter was really the standard of the 
time for high performance automatics but again was for the big engined 
cars, the ones that least needed it.

For me, I only really notice the PG when merging onto an expressway. There 
is not a whole lot there after the 42 mph shift but may also be a tired 
engine (though once up to speed I have to be vigilant to keep it under 70).

Real reason was that a two-speed automatic just needed one set of planetary 
gears (why the Model T was a 2-speed) while a three speed required a second 
set and was considerably more expensive. Don't forget at the tie these were 
supposed to be low cost cars.

Padgett