“NIAGARA ON WHEELS“ 1950 CHEVROLET AUTOMATIC POWERGLIDE TRANSMISSION PROMO FILM 89574

Made by the famed Jam Handy Organization for Chevy, this black & white film promotes Chevrolet’s new innovation: the automatic powerglide transmission. The film focuses on the transmission’s design, ease of use and touts the torque it provides. The film attempts to explain the mechanical and hydraulic action of the automatic transmission, by metaphorically comparing it to the power of Niagara Falls -- thus the title “Niagara on Wheels“. Copyright 1950. The Powerglide is a two-speed automatic transmission designed by General Motors. It was available primarily on Chevrolet from January 1950 through 1973. The original 1950-51 Powerglide transmissions did not automatically shift between low and high (direct drive) which made for very sluggish take-offs and many drivers started in “Low“ and shifted to “Drive“ at about 30–40 mph (48–64 km/h). The 1953 and later units when in “Drive“ started in low and automatically up shifted to high at a speed determined by the throttle opening. By the mid-1950s, more than half of all new Chevrolets were sold with Powerglide. Opening: Your Chevrolet Dealer presents Niagara on Wheels (:08-:21). Niagara Falls, New York. Power of the water, and a look at the water driven hydro-electric turbines that power homes. Introducing Chevrolet’s new, automatic power team: the Powerglide transmission. A Chevrolet Styleline convertible transmission is put into drive, the gas is pushed and off the car goes. A car races down a road. Interior of a new Chevrolet. A Chevrolet goes up a hill (:22-1:54). Shifting gears. Engine. Niagara Falls. Water turbines at work. Water is pumped. A centrifugal pump is shown at work. Experiments show how it can or can’t work. A turbine is shown at work. The pump is filled with water spinning (1:55-4:09). Chevrolet engineers at work on a turbine. Super slow drop pushes a turbine blade and goes to a pump back and forth. How a turbine pump works is explained (4:10-5:11). Water spurts from a hose. A turbine works fast. Chevrolet car drives down a road, passes a car, climbs a hill. Animation of a turbine at work (5:12-6:50). Power multiplication. Turbine at work. Water wheel at work. Turbine. Bus drives down a street. A U.S. Army tank goes down a dirt hill. The turbine, the pump, and a starter (6:51-7:51). A ball is used to demonstrate how the turbine and pump work with one another. Gears on an encasing. A Chevy Styleline sedan pulls forward. Car is put into reverse and the car backs up. L, when used in an automatic transmission helps the Chevrolet go up a hill. The car is put into park. Woman steps out of the car (7:52-9:44). A car goes up and over a curb. Chevrolet goes up a hill at 20mph, when he stops, the car rolls backwards, the gas is applied and forward it goes again. Niagara Falls. Chevrolet’s new engine. Chevrolet on a highway with a family inside. Gas gauge reads almost full. Cars drive down a highway. Car on a test track (9:45-11:49). End credits (11:50-11:54) We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example like: “01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.“ This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit