One of the most prominent automotive innovations of the 20th century was the automatic transmission. However, it's possible you've never thought about this amazing technology except when you check the fluid or take the car in for transmission repairs. To help you better understand your car, here’s a closer look at how the automatic transmission rose to popularity.

Origin

The automatic transmission was invented in 1921 in Saskatchewan, Canada, by Alfred Horner Munro. Prior to its invention, drivers had to manually shift gears using a lever while depressing a clutch pedal. Munro's invention utilized compressed air to lock and unlock a "planetary gear system," where one or more gears revolve entirely around a central or "sun" gear.

The benefits of such a system were immediately obvious. It enabled people without the use of all their limbs to easily operate a vehicle, and it made for fewer distractions for other drivers. It also enabled multitasking while driving.

Commercialization

However, Munro's invention lacked power and didn’t make sense for commercial use. It wasn’t long before General Motors® built on his advances and, during the 1930s, developed a similar system that used hydraulic fluid instead of air. They introduced the "Hydra-Matic" transmission to the public in 1940.

In the U.S., the post-war boom of the late '40s and the burgeoning "car culture" of the ‘50s led to thousands of the units being sold, while GM®—along with other automakers—tinkered with the design and made continual improvements.

Today

Nowadays, more than 95% of cars on U.S. roads feature automatic transmissions. This is up from just over 70% only 30 years ago. Despite its overwhelming popularity here, the automatic has not had the same success elsewhere.

In fact, about 80% of vehicles in continental Europe and Japan still feature manual transmissions with friction clutches. This could be because manual shifting offers greater performance control or because automatic transmission repair is more difficult and expensive. Automatics fare slightly better in the U.K., but even there, only 40% of British vehicles are fitted with Munro's invention.

When your vehicle needs automatic transmission repair, contact Friendly Transmission Service in High Point, NC. This family-owned and -operated company has served Guilford County and the Piedmont Triad region since 1986. They specialize in transmission rebuilds, installing remanufactured transmissions, and servicing flywheels and differentials. Learn more about the company on their website or call (336) 882-1164 to schedule transmission repair.