Looking at the figures from key European markets—and especially the United States appears that the manual transmission is becoming a thing of the past.
Automatic transmissions are becoming nearly standard in many markets, threatening the survival of cars with manual gearboxes.
Beyond the clear trend toward SUVs and, more recently, electrified vehicles, it’s evident that manual transmissions are losing their grip.
This shift has been underway since the late 1990s in the U.S., and since the late 2000s in much of the rest of the world. It now seems that a major and irreversible change has taken place.
If we look at the U.S., it remains the largest market for automatic transmissions.
In fact, General Motors developed the first mass-produced automatic transmission, which was introduced in 1939.
Automatic cars were already quite popular at the start of the new millennium, and they are even more dominant today.
Data shows that 25 years ago, nearly 72% of new light vehicle sales—including popular pickup trucks—had automatic transmissions, while only 28% were equipped with manuals.
Last year, manual transmissions accounted for just 0.8% of new light vehicle sales in the U.S. market, according to Jato Dynamics.
What do the numbers say in Europe?
In 2001, nearly all passenger cars registered in the five largest European markets (Germany, the UK, France, Italy, and Spain) came with manual transmissions.
Data shows that during that period, manual cars made up 91% of registrations across those five markets.
Last year, manual transmission vehicles accounted for just 29% of registrations in the same five major European markets.
