▁General ▁Mot ors ▁had ▁introduced ▁Old sm obile ' s ▁H yd ram atic ▁automatic ▁transmission ▁and ▁nearly ▁three ▁years ▁after ▁Ford ' s ▁Ford - O - M atic . ▁Pack ard ' s ▁Ul tr am atic ▁deb uted ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁and ▁St ude b aker ' s ▁Autom atic ▁Drive ▁was ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 . ▁The ▁Power Fl ite ▁was ▁simple ▁in ▁its ▁construction ▁and ▁operation , ▁with ▁fewer ▁parts ▁than ▁compet ing ▁transm issions . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁quite ▁dur able , ▁being ▁used ▁behind ▁every ▁Ch rys ler ▁Corporation ▁engine ▁from ▁the ▁low ly ▁P ly mouth ▁Six ▁to ▁the ▁Imperial ' s ▁H emi ▁V - 8 . ▁Un like ▁most ▁other ▁automatic ▁transm issions , ▁Power Fl ite ▁did ▁not ▁feature ▁a ▁" P ark " ▁range , ▁making ▁it ▁necessary ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁hand bra ke ▁whenever ▁the ▁car ▁was ▁park ed . ▁All ▁Ch rys ler ▁products ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁had ▁a ▁par king ▁bra ke ▁independent ▁from ▁the ▁vehicle ' s ▁wheel ▁bra kes , ▁a ▁single ▁bra ke ▁drum ▁mounted ▁on ▁the ▁driv esh aft , ▁just ▁behind ▁the ▁transmission . ▁This ▁had ▁the ▁( int ended ) ▁effect ▁of ▁lock ing ▁both ▁rear ▁whe els ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁way ▁that ▁the ▁" P ark " ▁setting ▁did ▁in ▁other ▁transm issions . ▁ ▁When ▁first ▁introduced , ▁Power Fl ite ▁was ▁controlled ▁by ▁a ▁single ▁lever ▁mounted ▁on ▁the ▁ste ering ▁column