and after its introduction in early 1956, the Packard Executive. It was also available in all Clipper models, which were sold as a separate marque for 1956. They were also supplied to American Motors along with 352ci V8 engines for use in the Nash Ambassador and Hudson Hornet until AMC replaced Packard's V8 and Ultramatic Drive with their own V8 and Borg-Warner automatic at midyear. Packard also supplied Ultramatic Drive transmissions to its corporate partner Studebaker for use in the 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk, which also used the Packard 352ci V8 engine. Packard decided to offer a push-button gear selector for the 1956 series called "Touch Button Ultramatic". Mounted in a rectangular control pod at the end of a thick arm stemming from the right side of the steering column, the Touch Button Ultramatic gear selector used six buttons in two rows of three: The bottom row of buttons offered Park, Reverse, and Drive, while the top row contained the Neutral, Low, and High buttons. The system was electrically actuated, rather than Chrysler's very reliable mechanical pushbuttons, and was troublesome from the beginning. The electric shift motor, essentially a modified starter motor, proved insufficient to move the car out of Park on a steep hill, and would pop the circuit breaker; electrical contact problems, wiring problems and other issues were prevalent even when new, and worsened with age. Later models saw system improvements. When the contract was cancelled after Packard production ceased, Auto-Lite destroyed the tooling, making spare parts for the system unobtainable. Touch Button Ultramatic was standard only on the 1956 Packard Caribbean, and a $52 option for the Packard Patrician, Packard Four Hundred, and Packard Executive. It was also available in all Clipper models. It was not offered in AMC or Studebaker models using Packard engines. Although Detroit-based Packard production ceased after the 1956 model year, Studebaker-Packard Corporation continued to fulfill service obligations to Packard owners, and servicing the 1955 Twin-Ultramatic and 1956 Touchbutton Ultramatic were a continuing liability for the company after the Packard range was discontinued. Historical perspective Packard's successful development of its own automatic transmission was unique, as no other independent automaker managed such a feat. The company's worsening financial situation, particularly after its merger with Studebaker, made keeping up with competitors' automatic transmission developments particularly difficult. Packard's attempts to update the Ultramatic in 1954, 1955, and 1956, were not sufficiently tested to eliminate teething