▁only ▁brought ▁to ▁a ▁close ▁through ▁the ▁reading ▁of ▁the ▁War ▁Cla uses . ▁ ▁Autom atic ▁transm issions ▁for ▁motor ▁vehicles ▁Gustav ▁B auer , ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁marine ▁engine ▁section , ▁super vised ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁Hermann ▁F ött inger ▁on ▁the ▁Fot ting er ▁hyd ra ul ic ▁transmit ter ▁known ▁as ▁V ul can ▁Cou pling ▁and ▁V ul can ▁Drive ▁or ▁fluid ▁coupling . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 4 , ▁V ul can ' s ▁Hermann ▁R ies eler ▁invent ed ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁automatic ▁transm issions , ▁which ▁had ▁a ▁two - speed ▁planet ary ▁g ear box , ▁tor que ▁converter , ▁and ▁lock up ▁cl utch ; ▁it ▁never ▁entered ▁production . ▁( The ▁less - s oph istic ated ▁H yd ra - M atic , ▁which ▁used ▁a ▁simple ▁fluid ▁coupling , ▁would ▁only ▁become ▁an ▁available ▁option ▁on ▁Old sm ob iles ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 .) ▁The ▁original ▁coupling ▁further ▁developed ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁Harold ▁S inc la ir ▁of ▁Fl uid rive ▁Engineering ▁of ▁Is le worth ▁for ▁Da im ler ▁of ▁Cov entry ▁and ▁matched ▁with ▁a ▁manually ▁controlled ▁ep icy clic ▁g ear box ▁went ▁into ▁production ▁in ▁England ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 . ▁ ▁Sh ut down ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁V ul can ▁St ett in ▁went ▁bank rupt ▁and ▁sold ▁its ▁Hamburg ▁ship yard ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 . ▁The ▁AG ▁V ul can ▁St