The manual gearbox, a staple component in petrol and diesel cars for decades, could be on the verge of extinction according to new data.
A recent investigation revealed that very few new cars on sale today are available with this type of transmission, reflecting a dramatic shift in the automotive industry.
This decline mirrors continuously falling sales across the UK and ultimately limits the number of drivers willing and able to change gears themselves.
As automatic transmissions become increasingly dominant, the future of the manual gearbox appears increasingly uncertain in the UK.
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Manual gearboxes are more common in secondhand vehicles
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The data by Auto Express found that just 96 models are currently being offered with a manual transmission, compared to 404 models that are automatic-only, with manual options representing just over 19 per cent of the overall market.
Several factors have been found to be driving the decline of manual gearboxes, with customer preferences being a primary reason.
While driving enthusiasts typically prefer the analogue and involving nature of changing gears themselves, many drivers simply find automatic cars more relaxing to drive.
Perhaps more significantly, the rise of electrified vehicles is accelerating this trend, with almost all hybrids or fully electric vehicles operating as automatics.
The stark imbalance highlights how dramatically the automotive landscape has shifted towards automatic transmissions, with manual gearboxes becoming increasingly rare features on new vehicles.
As manufacturers continue to prioritise automatic gears in their newest models, consumers could face increasingly limited options if they prefer to change gears themselves.
This represents a significant decline from just three years ago, when almost a third of all models, including body style derivatives such as estates, coupes and performance variants, were available with a manual gearbox.
According to the UK's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, just 22 per cent of new cars left forecourts with a manual transmission in 2024.
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The number of learner drivers taking tests in manual cars has dropped over the year
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This continues a downward trend that has been developing for several years, with automatic sales having become the majority in 2020, marking a pivotal moment in British motoring preferences.
Emma Bush, AA Driving School's managing director, said: "As more people become confident with the idea of their driving future being electric, the idea of needing to drive a manual vehicle will feel irrelevant to many.
"Indeed, we see many are already choosing to not only learn in an automatic, but to learn in an electric vehicle.
"We see this trend continuing and the need for manual tuition declining, although manual licences will remain important for some drivers as they will want the option to drive a larger variety of vehicles."
The number of cars with manual gears has rapidly declined
GETTYFigures from the AA Driving School found that one in five of its students (21 per cent) took and passed their practical test in an automatic car in 2024.
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