Push button gearshifts

I had two Chrysler 300 (1962) with push button transmission and a 1958 Mercury Convertible that also had push button, We have a car club member with 58 Edsel, it has buttons on the steering wheel.

These days I have a Corvette with a six speed manual and of course the Ram that has a dial on the dash.

For information purposes, the Chrysler push-button shifters worked very similar to the pushbuttons on the old radios; each button moved a rocker to a preset position, which moved a cable that went to the transmission. The cable was attached to a hydraulic valve inside the tranny which selected the direction of oil flow. The oil pressure activated the proper clutch or servo to put the transmission into the desired gear.
Since AMC used Chrysler automatic transmissions, their system was the same.
I do not know about Edsel, never had to work on one

I found this on a Car Talk Forum:
The following U.S. cars had pushbutton automatic transmissions:
AMC Rambler & Ambassador (except American) 1958-1962
All Chrysler Products 1956-1964
Edsel 1958 (upper line Corsair and Citation only)
The Rambler and Chrysler products had the pushbuttons to the left of the steering column. The Edsel had the pushbuttons in the steering wheel hub.

Also, The 1956 Packard had a push button transmission.

I'm learning a lot of useless information from this thread. :)

jfkmk wrote:

A friend of mine had a Corvair with push button trans. Maybe they were more prone to problems than the mechanical linkage lever.

Thanks. I was racking my brain trying to think of a push button Corvair.
I don't think I would like the 'Dial' type gearshift. I still think the push button was a cool setup.

gbopp wrote:

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
Dad had a Corvair Monza that had a push button shifter come to think of it.

The automatic transmission Corvairs I remember had a lever type gearshift on the dash.
I'm not saying they didn't have a push button, I just don't remember seeing one.
I often wondered why Chrysler dropped them, I think they're neat.
Maybe the shift lever is cheaper and more effective?

A friend of mine had a Corvair with push button trans. Maybe they were more prone to problems than the mechanical linkage lever.

I rented a Chrysler 200 on a business trip that had a knob on the console for the trans. I didn't like it at all.

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
Dad had a Corvair Monza that had a push button shifter come to think of it.

The automatic transmission Corvairs I remember had a lever type gearshift on the dash.
I'm not saying they didn't have a push button, I just don't remember seeing one.
I often wondered why Chrysler dropped them, I think they're neat.
Maybe the shift lever is cheaper and more effective?

Dad had a Corvair Monza that had a push button shifter come to think of it.

RoyB wrote:
google says this:
GM PUSH BUTTON TRANSMISSIONS

I remember when I was a kid in grade school (50s) in Bonnie ILL back before buses our teacher used to take us to Basketball games at other schools in his big ole car that had push button gear shifter... He could get the whole team in his car including all of the basketballs hehe...

Roy Ken

So Google had no idea either? Every one of the pushbutton shifters I saw in the pictures was one of the Chrysler family of cars.

google says this:
GM PUSH BUTTON TRANSMISSIONS

I remember when I was a kid in grade school (50s) in Bonnie ILL back before buses our teacher used to take us to Basketball games at other schools in his big ole car that had push button gear shifter... He could get the whole team in his car including all of the basketballs hehe...

Roy Ken