Who Invented the First Automatic Car?

The invention of the first automatic car is more evolutionary than the result of a single invention. Frenchmen Louis-Rene Panhard and Emile Levassor are recognized for inventing the modern transmission in 1894, but it was Thomas J. Sturtevant of Boston, Mass., who designed the first automatic transmission in 1904.

History

Inventor Sturtevant designed the 1904 Automatic Tourer that featured an internal combustion engine, a 3-speed semi-automatic gearbox, automatic lubrication and vacuum brakes.

Significance

The Sturtevant automatic transmission serves as the blueprint for all automatic cars and trucks on today’s roads.

Function

The clutch-less automatic car utilizes a gearbox that automatically changes the gear ratio, which allows the driver to simply select one gear to move or park the vehicle.

Types

While automakers experimented with a variety of different automatics, the semi-automatic and the fully automatic transmission received the most attention.

Features

Automatic cars changed gears at specific predetermined speeds, often coming in 2- or 3-speed models, depending on the size of the engine and the options available.

Identification

Relatively modern automatic cars, such as 1940-67 Oldsmobiles equipped with “Hydramatic” transmissions, have no clutch pedal, freeing the driver from physically shifting gears.

Resources

• Automatic Car History