Once the default choice in many car models, manual transmissions have been steadily disappearing from the global automotive market over the past two decades. Recent statistics reveal a significant shift towards automatic transmissions, reflecting changing customer preferences and advancements in automotive technology.
According to data compiled by Motor1 in late August, in five major European markets (Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Spain), the proportion of cars equipped with manual transmissions reached 91% in 2001. By 2024, this figure had plummeted to 29%. The most dramatic change occurred in the luxury car segment, where the percentage of automatic vehicles surged from 31% to 97%. This percentage also increased significantly in mainstream brands, rising from 5% to 63%.
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Manual gear stick on a Porsche 911 Carrera S. Photo: Car and Driver |
Manual gear stick on a Porsche 911 Carrera S. Photo: Car and Driver
Looking at individual countries, the decline in manual transmission sales is stark: Germany fell from 83% in 2001 to 18% in 2024, the UK from 86% to 22%, France from 95% to 28%, Italy from 98% to 48%, and Spain from 97% to 41%. In the United States, manual transmission options are even scarcer. In 2001, 28% of new cars sold were manual. By 2024, this figure had dwindled to 0.7%. Manual transmissions in the US now primarily exist in a few sports cars and light trucks.
Several factors contribute to the decline of manual transmissions. Increasingly congested urban traffic makes driving a manual car in cities less convenient. The price difference between manual and automatic vehicles has also shrunk, diminishing the cost advantage of manual transmissions. Furthermore, the rise of electric vehicles, which don't require multi-gear transmissions, further accelerates the decline of the manual option. Finally, driver-assistance technologies like adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking are more easily integrated with automatic transmissions.
Despite this trend, the manual transmission isn't entirely extinct. A niche market persists for enthusiasts of sports cars and high-performance vehicles, and for drivers who seek a more engaging driving experience through the direct control of a manual gearbox.
Ho Tan (via Motor1)
