Push Button Autos? why did they die out?

[Shelty]

Something got me thinking today, maybe its the beer, but what happened to Push button Autos? I know they were a big thing with Chrysler for a little while, but they quickly died out.

last summer I came across a 64 Dart GT, slant 6 with the pushbutton automatic, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I almost bought it on the transmission alone, but after researching the car I found out that parts for that car are crafted from unobtanium. no one makes sheet metal for that car. and sadly, this car needed almost every panel, minus the roof the hood and the trunk. even for 500 bucks, it was good for parts only, it was even running too.

but I wonder why they died out, they were bragged to have been convenient, but seem like the Column shift took over.

[squirrel]

no wires in mopars, they are cable actuated. I think there was a vehicle safety law that required a standardized shift pattern starting in 1965. The 65 mopars had cable linkage with a lever shifter, 66 (?) they went to mechanical linkage.

[Barry Donovan]

there is modern versions.
overseas mostly I guess.

I even had a subaru with a dramatic on the fly AWD kicking in.. one button, tractor trailer mode. Way more drama than shifting an automatic.

strange law they must have created.. but mopar got ganged up on all the time. the elephant motor stories etc.

my grandma drove the push button, giant chrysler..she always bought new, once a year sometimes. I asked when I was a kid when I got my first car what her favorite was.

the big chrysler with the buttons.

[Shelty]

shame if it was the law that killed the push button. I always thought they were the coolest thing ever.

[oldschoolcamaro]

those old push button auto's were awesome , push button and here tires chirp LOL!!!

[DanStokes]

For a brief period of time you would see race cars with a sheet metal box coming out of the tunnel area with the button assembly on top of it. I'm guessing they might have been ClutchFlites but I never got close enough to one to see that and I can't remember from the mag articles of the day. All I remember was that the cables had to be adjusted just right.

Pretty sure that there was a standardization of automatic shift patterns. PRNDL was not always the standard. For example, Dynaflos had reverse at the far right (where L is now) and some folks had trouble with that, backing into stuff when they meant to be in drive. I don't recall the old Hydramatic pattern as I worked at a Buick dealership! So anyhow, my guess would be that someone decided that if Bozo T. Average can't even stay in his/her own lane they sure as heck couldn't keep up with different shift patterns. The lowest common denominator, for better or worse.

Dan

[squirrel]

early hydramatics had R after L, also, and no Park.

[Monk]

They were cool........we called 'em 'typewriter trannys'
My grandparents owned one

[38P]

shame if it was the law that killed the push button. I always thought they were the coolest thing ever.

NHTSA and the trial lawyers killed 'em. Sad.

[Shelty]

so many things are gone now because of dumb ppl ruining it for everyone.

[Grumpy]

I can remember the Edsel's had transmission pushbuttons in the center of the steering wheel, that was probably a high maintenance deal. I had a 63 Dodge Polara 500 Ramcharger with the pushbuttons, I loved that concept.

Here's something else that I thought was pretty cool but they're no longer around, what killed off the Swivel seats, I had a couple mid-70's Cutlass cars with swivel buckets, the older you get the more you miss them!

[fast Ed]

The new gen (2013-up) Lincoln MKZ have a version of this now ... take a look at this interior photo, to the right of the steering wheel, left edge of the centre stack:




cheers
Ed

[Shelty]

guess they are making a comeback in select vehicles.

swivel seats? and the tilt away steering wheel aka fat man wheel? ala mid 60s T-bird

[fast Ed]

I'm not even fat, and I love the slide-away column in my 66 Bird! LOL

[squirrel]

NHTSA and the trial lawyers killed 'em. Sad.

Uhh, yeah. NHTSA was formed in 1970, the push button shifters were last made around 1964.