It used to be that people would choose to buy a vehicle with a manual transmission because the system was less expensive than an automatic tranny, had far fewer moving parts to break down and consumed less fuel.
However, in today’s world, while manual transmissions are still available on some models, they are becoming rare — and in most cases cost more than the more complicated automatic – and there are several reasons for this.
In the early days of the automobile, women drivers were scarce. Most did not think it lady-like to be seen operating all those gears, and it still took brute strength just to get a piston powered engine started.
In fact, electric vehicles in the larger cities competed heavily with gas engines and almost won out for that reason; all a lady had to do was adjust her petticoats, push a button and she was off to the club for afternoon tea.
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It would be one Alice Roosevelt who help change all of that. The daughter of the 26th president, Teddy Roosevelt, was known for being rather wild for her time, she was known to cuss, spit on the sidewalk like a man and she was often seen roaring up the Whitehouse driveway in her own motor car much to her father’s dismay.
“I can do one of two things. I can be President of the United States, or I can control Alice Roosevelt. I cannot possibly do both,” Roosevelt was quoted as saying.
By the 1920s, with the advent of the electric starter, more and more women got behind the wheel. Unlike the previous generation, women openly smoked cigarettes, exercised their newly won right to vote and just like the menfolk, wore out clutches from sea to shining sea.
Some women, such as Hellé Nice, even engaged in the insanely dangerous sport of auto racing.
The automatic transmission was first created in 1921, but it was fraught with problems and did not have the ability to go in reverse. In 1939, Oldsmobile offered the first practical automatic, but most brands, including Cadillac, still offered manual transmissions due to the high cost of producing an automatic transmission.
All the way into the 1970s and 1980s, people preferred manual transmissions because they were cheaper and could be easily maintained by the corner gas station.
However, over time, people had more gadgets they toyed with while driving that necessitated a free hand.
Even cheap economy cars had an automatic option and over time only driving enthusiasts who wanted that feeling of being one with the machine were about the only ones demanding a manual.
Today, many high-end sports cars only come with only an automatic and most major car makers have announced they would be completely phasing out the lowly manual over time.
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Another decision affecting the manual transmission is the drive for carmakers to go all electric and eventually phase out the piston engine altogether. Almost all electric cars operate without a multi-gear transmission. So, automakers think that it makes sense to eliminate having to manufacture two separate types of gas-powered transmissions.
But, if manual transmissions are still simpler and more cost effective to manufacture, why are manual driven vehicles more expensive that their automatic counterparts?
According to Senior Consumer Advice Editor & Content Strategy for Edmonds, Ronald Montoya, the manual transmission has not become more expensive, but the models that offer a stick option are more expensive overall.
Automakers believe that if a driver really wants that “one with the road” feeling, then they also want a higher level of luxury, so most manuals are only offered on the higher trim packages.
Montoya offers the Mazda 3 and Hyundai Elantra as examples of where a manual option is offered, but the buyer must pay far over base price because of all the other bells and whistles included.
Nevertheless, the days of self-powering up to fifth gear and engine braking are numbered. It’s likely that if drivers really wants a manual transmission, they will have to build it themselves.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
