Pity the poor Powerglide. The two-speed automatic, when introduced in 1950, brought automatic transmission availability to lower-priced cars and became ubiquitous in Chevrolets of the 1950s and '60s.

The 700R4 transmission from General Motors continues to be a reliable and sought-after automatic gearbox more than 40 years after its introduction. Used in all manner of cars and trucks, the GM Turbo ...