Fluid Drive

{{Short description|Chrysler transmission driveline of the 1940s}} {{Transmission types}}

'''Fluid Drive''' is the trademarked name that Chrysler Corporation assigned to a transmission driveline combination which replaced the flywheel with a hydraulic coupling and performed the same function as a modern torque converter, only without torque multiplication.<ref name=MT>{{cite web |last=Gold |first=Aaron |title=How Chrysler Was Once Detroit's Technological Leader |date=December 29, 2020 |work=Motor Trend |url=https://www.motortrend.com/features/chrysler-history-most-innovative-automaker |access-date=November 29, 2025}}</ref> The fluid coupling and torque converter was invented by the German engineer Hermann Föttinger in the early 1900s.<ref name="mjn">{{cite book |last=Nunney |first=Malcolm James |title=Light and Heavy Vehicle Technology |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=eL6TBaSnd78C |year=2007 |publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann |isbn=978-0-7506-8037-0 |pages=317}}</ref>

==Configuration== The standard Fluid Drive configuration consisted of the fluid coupling and a manual transmission and clutch in tandem.<ref name=MMCG>{{cite web |title=Video: An Introduction to Chrysler Fluid Drive |date=October 24, 2017 |work=Mac's Motor City Garage |url=https://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/video-an-introduction-to-chrysler-fluid-drive/ |access-date=November 29, 2025}}</ref> If the Fluid Drive was mated to a manual transmission, the driver still needed to use the clutch to shift between any of the gears. The presence of Fluid Drive, however, prevented the driver stalling when taking off from a stop. The driver could also come to a stop in any gear without using the clutch and could then proceed without shifting or using the clutch.<ref name=MMCG/>

Fluid Drive could also be mated to a semi-automatic transmission. With the semi-automatic transmission, the driver selected reverse, low range, or high range. Each range had two speeds; to shift between them, the driver accelerated then released pressure on the accelerator.<ref name=MT/>

==See also== * List of Chrysler transmissions

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.allpar.com/mopar/fluidrive.html Fluid Drive article on Allpar]

Category:Chrysler transmissions