Ultramatic

Ultramatic was the trademarked name of the Packard Motor Car Company's automatic transmission introduced in 1949 and produced until 1954, at Packard's Detroit, Michigan East Grand Boulevard factory. It was produced thereafter from late 1954, thru 1956 at the new Packard "Utica" Utica, Michigan facility.

Packard's Ultramatic transmission was the creation of the company's chief engineer Forest McFarland and his engineering team. The magnitude of the accomplishment is illustrated by the fact that it was the only automatic transmission produced solely by an independent automaker with no outside help. Devices like the Ultramatic were being tested and designed by Packard from 1935 on, but none sufficed the perfectionist engineer. The Ultramatic's development was halted as was all automotive work during World War II, but resumed in earnest during 1946. Packard, during this period, was suffering in competition with Cadillac, thanks to their popular self-shifting Hydra-Matic, which was available starting in 1941 and became popular during 1946-1948. Packard at that time only offered an Electromatic Vacuum Clutch option, which required manual shifting, and as most vacuum powered shifting, and clutching devices, was generally unreliable. In 1949, Packard's 50th anniversary, McFarland's Ultramatic Drive became available as a $199 option. It was first offered only on the De-Luxe Packard Customs.

The Ultramatic was a hydraulic torque converter automatic transmission with a two-speed plus reverse epicyclic geartrain and torque converter lockup, called Direct Drive by Packard. The unit was hydraulically controlled with a "valve body," like most automatic transmissions before the advent of electronic control.

The original Ultramatic did not switch automatically between high and low gearing ratios; the driver selected high or low ratio through the column shift lever. The intention was that in normal driving, the high (1:1) ratio would be selected at all times, and the two stage, dual turbine torque converter (actually a total of four turbines were employed) used to reduce gearing for starting off. At a speed of 15–56 mph (24–90 km/h) (depending on rear axle ratio which affected the rate of governor pressure rise), governor pressure overcame the opposing throttle pressure, as determined by carburetor linkage position, causing the Direct Shift Valve to apply the direct drive clutch. This "locked" the torque converter, giving direct mechanical drive from the engine to the rear wheels, eliminating the power-robbing slippage of the torque converter at cruising speeds. On the highway, the Ultramatic delivered the same economy and power as a manual transmission. With the exception of Borg-Warner, major automotive manufacturers did not generally employ a locking torque converter until nearly thirty years later.

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