Ultramatic was the trademarked name of Packard Motors Company automatic transmission introduced in 1950 and produced until 1956 at Packard's Detroit, Michigan factory.
Packard's leadership had hoped to offset the costs of the transmission's development by selling it to other American independent automobile manufactures. However the rapidly shrinking independent automobile industry of the 1950s reduced its potential market and accelerated Packard's financial problems.
By the time Ultramatic began to build a long-term reputation for smoothness and durability, Packard’s ill-timed merger with Studebaker (Studebaker-Packard Corporation) forced the closer of Packard’s Detroit Plant and the Ultramatic was discontinued. Packard had received a limited commitment from American Motors (AMC) for the transmission, which intended to install in its 1958 Ambassador, however with Packard’s closure, the delivery was never made to AMC.
Originally employing a shift lever, Ultramatic shifted to push button controls in the mid 1950s. Unlike Chrysler's TorqueFlite pushbutton pod location to the left side of the dashboard, Ultramatic controls were located in a pod attached to a stationary lever where a traditional shift level would otherwise be found.
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