Home60 years of cool cars with automatic gearboxes

60 years of cool cars with automatic gearboxes

We look back at six decades of ZF automatic transmissions, how the technology has evolved and the cars that brought it to life.

December 1, 2025

Automatic for the people
© BMW
If you visited the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1965, you’d have witnessed the debut of the Opel Kadett B and original Porsche 911 Targa. Honda was also the first Japanese marque to attend this European show, but alongside the cars was another new arrival: the ZF HP fully automatic transmission.
A shift in thinking
© ZF
This year, ZF’s HP range marks 60 years since its first unveiling. With more than 35 million automatic transmissions produced – a figure that has grown by 30 percent in the last decade – the automatic gearbox is more popular than ever.
Three is the magic number
© BMW
The ZF 3HP on display in Frankfurt was so-called because of its three gears – a naming strategy that continues to this day. Suitable for both transverse and longitudinal installations, more than one million examples were produced up until the early 1990s. The elegant BMW 2000 coupe (pictured) was one of the first applications.
A French evolution
© Peugeot
The Peugeot 504 adopted the three-speed 3HP automatic gearbox in 1969. The pretty, Pininfarina-designed 504 saloon was also offered in versatile estate guise, and as a two-door coupe and cabriolet.
Putting the power down
© Lancia
ZF soon re-engineered the 3HP to cope with ever-rising power and torque demands. Between 1975 and 1991, it found a home in the Alfa Romeo Spider, Lancia Thema (pictured), Maserati 425i and numerous BMW models – including the 3 and 5 Series.
Let’s talk about CX
© Citroen
In 1980, Citroen replaced its own C-Matic transmission in CX with the 3HP ’box from ZF. Just look at this vision of the future. Has anyone built a restomod CX yet? Seriously, that needs to happen.
Fast four-ward
© ZF
In 1982 ZF introduced the 4HP with – you guessed it – four forward gears. The fourth cog with its longer ratio and a new torque converter with a lock-up clutch made this transmission much more efficient.
Home on the Range… Rover
© ZF
The 4HP was the first ZF automatic transmission that also worked with all-wheel-drive vehicles, including the classic Range Rover.
More applications than an iPhone
© Porsche
Close to two million 4HP gearboxes were made, with applications as diverse as the 964-generation Porsche 911 (pictured), Jaguar XJ40, Peugeot 505, Volvo 740 and Freight Rover ambulance and police vehicles.
Got five on it
© ZF
In 1990, as Margaret Thatcher began her final year as prime minister and the Lotus Carlton caused a furore in parliament, ZF introduced a new 5HP five-speed automatic transmission. It bristled with clever electronics, including the first adaptive control unit that tailored gear selection to driving resistance. This meant on gradients or when towing a trailer, the 5HP only shifted up at higher engine speeds.
Long-distance runner
© BMW
Another key feature was lifetime oil filling, which did away with the need to replace the gearbox oil within the mileage suggested by the car manufacturer. A 1997 BMW 525 TDS subsequently covered 1,005,777.6 kilometres (624,951 miles) and apparently looked ‘as new’ inside its transmission casing.
The Rolls-Royce of transmissions
© Rolls-Royce
More than four million 5HP transmissions were produced, for cars as diverse as the Rolls Royce Silver Seraph (pictured), Porsche Boxster and Skoda Superb.
Six appeal
© VW
Less was more with ZF’s six-speed automatic transmission, launched in 2001. The first six speed auto ’box for passenger cars was 13kg lighter and quieter than the 5HP, thanks to a new ‘Lepelletier’ gearset concept, material advances and 30 percent fewer parts. Whether it was the Jaguar S-Type, BMW 7 Series, Ford Falcon, Volkswagen Phaeton (pictured), Bentley Arnage, Aston Martin DB9 or Hyundai Genesis, the 6HP found its way into more than seven million cars.
Driving the SUV boom
© Porsche
There was also a variant of the 6HP gearbox for all-wheel-drive vehicles, including the Land Rover Discovery, BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne (pictured).
Eight is great
© Ineos
In 2009, the eight-speed 8HP was ZF’s response to more efficient engines. It has since been fitted to a broad range of cars, such as the Morgan Plus Six, Jaguar XJ, Dodge Charger, BMW 7 Series and Ineos Grenadier (pictured).
Introducing electric drive
© ZF
A hybrid version of the 8HP replaced the torque converter with an electric motor. This can power the vehicle on its own by decoupling it from the petrol or diesel engine. The BMW 3 Series hybrid and Audi Q5 both made use of it.
Nine lives
© ZF
In 2013, ZF launched the world’s first 9-speed automatic transmission, designed for passenger cars with transverse front engines. It appeared in the Range Rover Evoque (pictured), Honda CR-V and others.
60 years of innovation
© ZF
Revealed at Munich IAA in 2025, 60 years after the original 3HP, the new ZF 8HP evo automatic transmission offers an electrical output of up to 200kW in plug-in hybrid (PHEV) configuration. Look out for it in the next generation of electrified cars.