Cheap gasoline wiped out the mileage advantage of manual transmissions. Furthermore, using a clutch in heavy traffic takes a toll on aging knees. By contrast, the ratio of manual to automatic transmissions is about 9 to 1 in Europe, where many drivers take driving more seriously. In fact, try learning to drive a car with a manual transmission these days. Most driving schools have given up teaching students the tricky two-step of clutch and accelerator.
Manual transmissions are as old as cars.
The automatics were a quick hit, popular with women and with soldiers who returned from World War II with injured or missing limbs. Cost cutting by manufacturers also contributed to the decline of the stick shift. Dropping stick shifts means fewer designs and less tooling. Only 30 percent of Chevrolet Corvettes go out the door with a manual transmission. Ford Motor Co.'s high-powered Taurus SHO sedan comes only with an automatic.