In 2011, only 3.9 percent of the cars sold in the United States came equipped with a manual transmission. Through the first half of 2012, that number has risen to seven percent, giving automotive enthusiasts a bit of hope for the future.
The take rate for manual transmissions is up at a time when the number of vehicles offered with a row-it-yourself gearbox is down. As The Los Angeles Times reports, only 36 percent of new vehicles sold in the U.S. can be equipped with a stick, while back in 2001 some 52 percent could be ordered that way.
No one knows for sure why more people are buying manual transmissions, but the general assumption is that more manual-trans drivers are trading in old cars on new. In other words, the spike in demand is likely to be temporary, and Edmunds.com analyst Ivan Drury believes that manuals are “on track to be virtually extinct in the next 15 to 20 years.”
For those without a passion for matching revs on a down-shift, newer automatics offer some serious advantages. They typically deliver better performance, often with improved fuel economy, too. While manual transmissions used to be priced below automatics, today there’s usually parity in price between transmission options.
Given the reported rise in CVTs, there’s no doubt the future looks bleak for those of us who prefer to row their own gears. This may be our final moment in the sun, so lets enjoy it while we still can.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
