When did the first automatic transmission come out?
The first mass-produced automatic transmission was General Motors’ Hydra-Matic, announced in 1939 and put into production for the 1940 model year. Oldsmobile was the first to offer it in production cars, with other GM divisions following in the early 1940s.
The Hydra-Matic's place in automotive history
Automated gear shifting transformed how people drove, reducing the need for clutch operation and manual gear changes. It made car ownership easier for beginners and those who wanted a more convenient driving experience, signaling a shift in both engineering and consumer expectations.
Key rollout milestones
These moments mark the introduction and early adoption of the Hydra-Matic across the auto industry.
- 1939 — General Motors publicly announces the Hydra-Matic as the first widely adopted fully automatic transmission.
- 1940 — Production begins; Oldsmobile becomes the first to offer Hydra-Matic in its production cars for the 1940 model year.
- 1941 — Other GM divisions, such as Buick and Cadillac, gradually begin offering Hydra-Matic in their models as well.
- Postwar era — During the late 1940s and into the 1950s, automatic transmissions become common across many brands, with continuous improvements and new four-, three-, and later five- and six-speed designs.
These milestones illustrate how the Hydra-Matic evolved from a pioneering concept into a standard feature on many cars within a decade.
Broader context: other approaches to automatics
While the Hydra-Matic was the first mass-produced fully automatic transmission, there were earlier attempts at automation, including semi-automatic devices and preselector gearboxes from various manufacturers. These offered partial automation but did not achieve the widespread adoption of GM’s Hydra-Matic.
Summary
In summary, the first automatic transmission to reach production cars appeared in 1940, following GM's 1939 announcement of the Hydra-Matic. Oldsmobile pioneered its use in production models, with other GM brands following in the early 1940s, paving the way for the modern era of automatic transmissions.
