he manual transmission was once the foundation of the automotive industry. But now, manual transmission-equipped cars are hardly selling, and fewer people know how to drive stick than ever before – or so it seems. Is the death of the manual transmission greatly exaggerated, or are we at the end of the line for the manual gearbox? In this month’s Roman Report, we discuss the history of the manual transmission, why it was popular, and how it began to decline. We’ll also go over some theories as to why this is happening, and why there is reason for optimism.
For more deep dive content, check out these investigative videos:
The Dangers of Dealership Markups: https://youtu.be/o9UxPkM0QsY?si=pJfxWtgvu2s-sNUG
The Life and Death of Saab: https://youtu.be/lwhxH9SB9h8?si=Fx3etNjv5-xEYJKI
The Life and Death of AMC: https://youtu.be/TCmHII0Pp9w?si=KApV8s_7PlchC4Li
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Chapters:
00:00 Manuals are not long for this world
01:54 Volkswagen and Honda announcements
03:42 The rise of the automatic transmission
04:29 Why manual transmissions were popular
06:15 The fall of the manual transmission
10:32 The history of the manual transmission
13:04 Why are manuals declining?
15:44 It’s a skill issue
16:57 No, it’s the cost – but also an age thing
20:52 No, it’s the enthusiasts’ fault
26:01 Reasons to be optimistic
30:40 A glimmer of hope
31:45 Ending/Sources/Photo Credits
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I teach manual transmission in Toronto Canada. $65/hour CDN. I have two different types of clients. Those that want to buy a car with a manual transmission and those who are traveling overseas and need to rent a car with a manual transmission. The age range is predominantly twenties and thirties. Occupation is predominantly IT. Ethnic makeup is majority Asian. Income is usually pretty good. I like the women clients better. They listen better, concentrate harder and are more determined and focused.
I would add that automatics have gotten a lot better. My manual Tacoma gets worse mileage than an automatic version. Even manually shifting an automatic has gone from total trash to tolerable.
I bought my fiesta st new in 2019 w nav and basic seats for $21500 because it was the cheapest thing that was super fun to drive and was just a manual w no adjustable suspension and that nonsense. Intercooler, rmm and a tune and I have the most basic 270tq 2700lb platform that gets 27mpg and was just a mistake for how well it takes corners and feels fun without being too crazy
I just never understood the obsession with manuals, it’s literally a downgrade. It’s like passionately preferring using wood block type set to print all your documents, over a color laser printer, because you “feel more connected” to the words put on the paper that way. People don’t obsess over crank starts or acetylene headlamps or non-power steering, so why this ancient transmission type?
Worst place to drive a manual is Atlanta Georgia very steep hills, tailgaters, traffic lights everywhere and awful traffic
My wife and l have a comperise about automatic and manual l own a 1997 Toyota Hilux and it is manual and sell for more money and sell quicker than automatic ones and also my wife and l both drive a 2017 Suzuki Baleno and it is automatic although we could bought a manual but my wife who has a manual license in N.S.W Australia if you go for your license in a manual you get a manual license which with your manual licence you can drive obviously a manual car also an automatic but if you get an automatic license obviously you can only drive an automatic
You show pictures of Sentras when you talk about automatics, but my car is a manual Sentra.
If I decide to scrap my F-150, I'm keeping the Mazda M5R2 transmission. It does put a stop to compulsive phone use while driving and learning to drive one early makes people better drivers. Sort of. I know a lady who can't drive an automatic for shhhhh, but she drives stick like a pro. I don't trust her backing her own new car, but I watched her back around a building between a fence in someone's old stick that she never drove once. She said, "It's what I learned on."
I am moving to Europe because I find the lack of manual transmission cars in the USA, disturbing.
You can still get manuals on other Golf models in Europe, as well as the Polo…really wish we got the Polo in the states….there is a really cool purple metallic color for the current model year.
My fiancé does not drive and said she never will…so…but even if she did, I would buy want I want…but she is Swedish, so she would not be afraid to drive stick anyways.
Bought a manual 2002 MR2 Spyder without knowing how to drive manual a few years ago, had someone show me the basically like once or twice…but I was too nervous around them and sucked….so I just brute forced it and figured it out myself.
"I got my masters" and there you go, you are the rare enthusiast…most of us enthusiasts never went to college and will never be able to afford a new car ever in our entire lifespan
I am in my 20s, the best cars are from the 50s and 60s.
23:30 ima stand there naked to send a photo to my fiancé.
MAGA NOW!!!
GARVEY 2024!!!
It amazes me with as many manufacturers have had reliability issues with auto and CVT transmissions- that consumers don't demand more car models with a manual trans option. I believe many other countries continue to favor driving stick, also.
Did Manuel really invent the transmission?
it's particularly sad that this channel of all voices in the ether doesn't consider the decline of manuals in regular cars rather than in enthusiast cars.
Has a few manuals over the years. I think I’m done with them
We've held on to the wife's 2013 Mini Roadster for just this reason, even if only sees 120 miles a year lately. I don't think we could replace it if we wanted to
I learned how to drive on a manual (a 1978 IH Scout!), just bought a new Civic Si. Showed it to one of my older relatives, they couldn't get over the fact (in a good way) that manuals even existed any more. I figure this will likely be the last gas-powered car I buy (assuming I own it for 15-20 years) so I made sure to get the one thing I actually wanted in a car this time around.
Goddamnit this is depressing to me. I learned to drive on a manual , and absolutely loved it. When I moved to the city and got rid of the car (it has 269,000 miles; it was time…) I was primarily getting around via bike. I was in a relationship for several years with someone who had an automatic, and would drive it when I needed it. It was fine, but for a while I felt like driving just didn't spark joy in me like it used to. I thought it was just a symptom of me getting older, no longer feeling that feeling of excitement and freedom that having a car in your teens and early 20's brings.
When I finally got a car again, you better believe it was manual. Suddenly I was finding the joy in driving that I thought I'd lost. My car has about 90,000 miles on it right now. I am going to hold on to it and take as good care of it as I can, because by the time it dies I'm afraid that nobody will make manuals anymore. (Not even talking about electrification, however quickly or slowly that will happen from now to then.)
Until 2017 I lived in a fairly large city (now significantly larger than when I left it), and found it amazing that the entire city and surrounding suburbs were purportedly served by just one company that could repair manual transmissions. I was told by multiple sources that all dealerships and independent auto shops in the area would send their manual transmission repairs to this single shop. I took a transmission there directly at one point, and found that it was basically just a guy and his hired help, working from a house in a residential area. The yard was piled high with transmissions, and to an untrained eye it looked pretty dismal, but supposedly they were doing decent business. All because there was too little manual transmission work for anyone else to bother maintaining the staff skills to do it.
I'm from Europe. And here manual is the norm. In my life I have driven 15 different cars and only one was automatic. And I don't think I've been in more than 5 automatic cars.
Last year in July, I got my first manual, and it was frustrating at first learning how to drive it. I stalled out so many times, but I didn't give up, and now, a year of driving with a manual, I enjoy driving so much more. I'm never giving up this car, and I'm not going back to automatics.
I’d like to see a study showing the percentage of CDL holders that have “automatic only” restrictions on their licenses. Driving stick shift in a car is a cake walk vs shifting a big rig with a non synchronized manual transmission. Point being… at least 82% of people in America just suck at driving.
It's always weird to hear american tales about manuals, while automatics are such luxury here in Brazil I don't know anyone who ever drove one.
Electrics are very expensive but they are automatics so I suppose there's that, but even then, because of the price, they're still trickling in, in comparison to any other car out there.
Also people gaining their driver licences without knowing how to drive stick is just mind boggling to think but, yea…
Car enthusiasts ruin car buying general public by misleading manufacturers
I’m holding on to my Mini Clubman 6 speed just because I can. I hope to teach my grandchildren on it lol
One of the reasons enthusiasts HAVE to buy used is planned obsolescence, and to a degree, safety regulations. As marketing and regulations evolve ever forward to keep us interested and safe, the cars have to change along with it and so "good" enthusiast cars burn bright and rhen fade away after a few model years. We are never going to have a 1978-1993 (+94-04) Fox platform for enthusiasts to iterate upon ever again. We will be safer for it, but unless you can afford to continuously lease a car for two to four years, the average guy kind of enthusiast will either have to pick up sloppy seconds or become a part-time dealer just to satisfy their habit. Or run/participate in monthy giveaways 😉
I think everyone is missing the how to solve EV Range with a manual transmission you don't even need a clutch !! Think about it
I learned to drive stick on my own. My parents always had manuals so I already had a good idea of how they worked from all the time I spent watching them drive but when it came to actually figuring it out I did it on my own. Only took a couple of hours. It's not hard. Getting good at it does take a bit longer, though.
Classism. In the US the manual transmission was seen as the "Poor man's/Cheap" option until 2001 when The Fast and the Furious was released.
*citation needed – Roommate who said "what date was this from'.
I think a reason missed in your exposition for the prevalence of manual transmissions after the invention of the automatic besides fuel economy was reliability. Autos were pretty dicey for the longest time. And more expensive to repair. In fact, I would be actively looking for a manual Subaru from the early years of the CVT. Or in a Nissan offering their Jatco.
I finally learned how to drive a manual at 30 years old 😊 Took about 2 days to teach myself. I've now owned 2 manual vehicles and honestly prefer it. I'll be the guy driving a manual Scion Xb until I can't find another one. I love this little car. Took some practice but I'm pretty confident with it now.
Drove a stick for years, I don’t really miss it, it’s more annoying than fun, especially long term.
I’m sure they will survive in some minimal form for enthusiasts. But people already voted with their feet. If these things still sold they would keep making them. The truth is, they aren’t, at least not in the numbers needed.
Here's a few anecdotal points from my life as a manual driving automotive enthusiast:
I learned on a '93 escort wagon, as my father (born in the 60s) taught me, and it was my only option to drive as a teenager
For a very long time, my car selection was determined either by whatever I could afford, or when sharing a car with my wife, something that she could drive. She has never learned how to drive stick
When I finally got to a point where I could afford a car that I wanted for fun, I went with the WRX, and then later the WRX STI, going used both times. First time was for affordability, second time was because Subaru had canceled the STI by that point