The Cadillac-Engineered Hydra-Matic Drive

The Hydra-Matic was introduced in 1940 and was the first brand of mass-produced automatic transmission. Hydra-Matic transmissions drew on a rich tradition of engineering and manufacturing excellence. The first Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, which debuted on the 1940-model Oldsmobile, had four-speeds. This product provided a decided advantage over the competition, as General Motors entered the post WWII years as the only domestic auto manufacturer offering a fully automatic transmission.