que ▁converter , ▁allowing ▁the ▁car ▁to ▁idle ▁in ▁g ear , ▁like ▁an ▁automatic . ▁The ▁tor que ▁converter ▁was ▁operated ▁by ▁transmission ▁fluid . ▁This ▁would ▁allow ▁the ▁car ▁to ▁stop ▁in ▁any ▁g ear ▁and ▁start ▁from ▁a ▁standing ▁stop ▁in ▁any ▁g ear . ▁ ▁The ▁Aut ost ick ▁deb uted ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁Volks wagen ▁Be et le ▁and ▁K arm ann ▁Gh ia ▁at ▁mid - model ▁year ▁along ▁with ▁a ▁fully ▁independent ▁rear ▁susp ension ▁that ▁deb uted ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁model ▁year . ▁V W ▁ended ▁Aut ost ick ▁production ▁with ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁model ▁year . ▁ ▁Ch rys ler ▁Aut ost ick ▁The ▁D odge ▁In tre pid ▁ES ▁and ▁E agle ▁V ision ▁T Si ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁autom obile ▁models ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁that ▁came ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁the ▁Aut ost ick ▁system , ▁the ▁former ▁as ▁an ▁option , ▁the ▁latter ▁as ▁standard , ▁and ▁later ▁standard ▁equipment ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁P ly mouth ▁P row ler ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁Ch rys ler ▁ 3 0 0 M . ▁It ▁was ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁J A ▁cars ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁Str atus . ▁This ▁system ▁was ▁standard ▁on ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁model ▁year ▁D odge ▁Grand ▁Car avan ▁ES , ▁but ▁only ▁the