Tipton, KS | OntarioCanuck - 1/8/2026 20:00
Not sure if it had the electric overdrive
I believe my brother's Studebaker had an overdrive....I overhauled something like a 1955 Ford pickup truck that had an overdrive on it.
ODs were used in that era. IIRC, with the OD, the coupe could get 20+mpg hwy. Don't recall who made one OD, maybe BorgWarner., but when accelerator pedal was released, this transmission would 'free wheel' and coast along with engine idling.
Aisin-Warner came out with lockup torque converter transmissions that would 'free wheel' up to 45 mph, and then engage when going over 45 mph. So in town, if a vehicle could keep moving, higher mpg was possible when free wheeling along.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_AW70_series_transmissions |