“Automatic transmissions used to be such simple things.”
Just go back to ‘50’s Olds 4 speed hydromatic.
Agreed, the original Oldsmobile Hydromatic, also used in the Pontiacs and Cadillacs of the time, and licensed out to some other manufacturers, was a highly complex and at times touchy piece of machinery, but remember, it was the first relatively reliable and available automatic transmission for the general public. There were a lot of versions of “semi-automatic” transmissions, that used a fluid drive and a foot clutch, most generally engineered by Chrysler, and involved a four-speed gearbox, but could only upshift because there was a momentary cutout of engine power, by an interruption of the ignition.
It was a big thing when Buick introduced the torque converter and the high-low two-speed planetary in about 1950 or so, with a similar design being used in the Chevrolets a year or so later. Much simpler in design than the original Hydromatic, the design was quickly copied by Chrysler and introduced about the same time.
Ford adopted the Borg-Warner torque converter and three-speed planetary design, for several years, until they engineered their own version. I think Studebaker also used the same design.