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A cherished feature for driving enthusiasts, the manual gearbox, is becoming increasingly scarce in new vehicles. Out of 278 distinct new car models currently on offer in showrooms, only 82 retain this once-standard component that has long contributed to motoring pleasure.
Vanishing Manual Gearboxes: A Rapid Decline
For UK drivers seeking this traditionally integral element of the driving experience, the selection of new models is at a decade low. The availability of manual transmission cars has plummeted by 57 percent since 2015, signalling a swift march towards obsolescence.
Experts predict that if this annual rate of reduction persists, the manual gearbox could be entirely absent from new motors by 2037.
However, the impending 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will almost certainly ensure that mainstream models in Britain will cease to feature manual transmissions much sooner than this projected date.
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The Manual Gearbox: An Era Nearing Its End
The component in question is, indeed, the manual gearbox.
A prevalent feature in automobiles since the 1891 Panhard et Levassor – widely acknowledged as the pioneer of manual transmission – this technology is now facing complete elimination.
Of the 278 different new car options available in showrooms today, only 82 have a manual gearbox. And the ability to change gear in a new motor will be extinct from 2030
CarGurus, the online marketplace for new and used vehicles, conducted a market analysis to determine the number of new models in dealerships equipped with manual gearboxes. The results, detailing which cars from major brands still offer this option, are outlined below.
Historical Shift from Manual to Automatic
The widespread adoption of the manual gearbox gained momentum in the post-war era. Prior to this, from the 1890s to the 1940s, most cars were rear-engined, utilizing a basic belt-drive system and consequently featuring only a single gear.
From the 1950s onwards, however, the manual gearbox became increasingly common. Over subsequent decades, it evolved into the standard for new models sold across Britain.
But according to CarGurus’ recent report, this once-ubiquitous feature is rapidly approaching extinction by 2025, with manuals present in just 29 percent of models currently in showrooms.
Compared to 2024, the number of available models with manual transmissions has decreased by 8 percent from 89, and by a quarter compared to 2023, when 109 manual transmission models were available.
CarGurus reports that within the portfolios of the 31 best-selling manufacturers, 72 percent of models are exclusively sold with automatic gearboxes.
Furthermore, a total of seven brands have entirely discontinued selling any models with a gearstick today.
Land Rover had just one manual new car on sale last year, but that model has been axed in the last 12 months meaning customers can only buy vehicles with automatic gearboxes
Mini is another of the 7 brands that no longer sells a manual transmission car in Britain
Mercedes-Benz also now exclusively sells cars in the UK with automatic gearboxes, killing off the manual gear change in its premium German models
Brands Abandoning Manual Transmissions
Land Rover and Mini have transitioned to being exclusively automatic, each removing their final manual gearbox option within the past year.
Other manufacturers that no longer offer manuals include Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo, along with electric-only brands Polestar and Tesla.
Jaguar was not included in this year’s study due to suspending new car sales until its planned relaunch in 2026. However, the brand did not offer manual options in 2024 either.
These figures represent a significant shift from just ten years prior, when manual gearboxes were by far the more prevalent choice.
This trend also brings less favourable news for car buyers regarding pricing, as automatic models typically carry a premium of approximately £1,000 compared to their manual counterparts.
Current Models with Manual Gearboxes
Below is a comprehensive list of 31 mainstream brands and the models they currently offer with a gearstick.
The 1891 Panhard et Levassor is widely recognised as the first car to have a manual transmission
CarGurus says there has been a 57% decline in the number of new models in showrooms with manual gearboxes between 2015 and 2025 as manufacturers accelerate towards culling the gear stick for good
Manual Gearbox Expected to Vanish by 2030
Based on the present rate of decrease, CarGurus anticipates that manual gearbox offerings may completely disappear from new models by 2037 – calculating from the reduction of seven models between 2024 and 2025.
Nonetheless, the forthcoming prohibition on new petrol and diesel vehicle sales from 2030 strongly suggests that manual transmissions are likely to become extinct in mainstream showrooms by the end of this decade.
From 2030 onwards, only conventional hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric vehicles will be available for purchase as new cars.
Currently, none of these three fuel types include a model equipped with a manual gearbox. This is primarily because electric drivetrains, with their instantaneous torque delivery, require only a single gear.
Despite this, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N performance SUV (starting from £65,000) incorporates a ‘simulated’ manual gearbox, utilizing paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.
Although possessing a single-speed transmission, the N e-shift system emulates both the feel and auditory experience of a combustion engine.
It even features a rev counter, redlined at 8,000rpm – upon reaching this limit in a ‘gear,’ acceleration ceases, mirroring a traditional manual transmission. Downshifting simulates throttle blipping.
This innovative function is conceived to enhance driver engagement with EVs, with Toyota also developing its own simulated manual gearbox system.
Despite these developments, the mechanical transmission that most drivers learned on will soon become obsolete as new cars transition to electric propulsion.
Supercars and niche, low-volume production models – such as lightweight sports cars from Caterham and Ariel – have received a temporary reprieve from the ban on new petrol and diesel models post-2030.
This implies that only the wealthiest enthusiasts may still have the option to purchase manual cars after 2030.
However, by 2035, these vehicles too are likely to be compelled to transition to electric power, almost certainly rendering the gear shift extinct across the entire new car market.
Toyota in 2022 filed patents for a ‘simulated’ manual gearbox for electric cars. Here’s how it would work…
The system will mechanically be a single-speed transmission but will limit the amount of power the electric motor can produce – and the speed it can reach – depending on which ‘arbitrary virtual’ gear is selected
When the driver uses the fake gear stick and clutch to select first, the system will allow for lots of torque but have a low limited top speed in that gear. In sixth, there will be less torque available but will not have a limit on the electric motor speed
Expert Commentary on Declining Manuals
Chris Knapman, CarGurus UK editorial director, commented: ‘With the increasing prevalence of fully electric new cars, and the broader market trend towards larger and more premium vehicles, the continued decline of the manual gearbox is unsurprising in the year since our last study.
‘Increasingly, an automatic gearbox is no longer an optional luxury, but rather an anticipated standard feature.’
However, Mr. Knapman added: ‘There is some positive news for drivers who still appreciate the heightened engagement provided by a manual gearbox.
‘Enthusiasts can still acquire new vehicles offering an exceptional gear-change experience, such as the Honda Civic Type R and Mazda MX-5.
‘Alternatively, the used car market offers a plentiful supply of vehicles with manual transmissions.’
Just 28% of drivers polled by CarGurus said they will miss the manual gearbox when it is lost forever
Driver Poll: Manual Gearbox Not Widely Missed
A 2024 CarGurus survey exploring driver preferences for traditional versus modern car features revealed that only 28 percent of the 2,000 respondents indicated they would miss manual gearboxes. The same percentage expressed they would miss clutch pedals.
This finding is somewhat unexpected, considering that a manual gearbox provides enhanced driving engagement and greater control over vehicle performance.
It appears that primarily older drivers will long for the gearstick once it is no longer an option in new models.
Analyzing age demographics, those over 65 were most likely to miss manual gearboxes (35 percent), compared to only a quarter of 18-to-24-year-olds.
A mere 22 percent of drivers aged 25 to 34 expressed they would miss manual transmissions.
These results emphasize the diminishing consumer demand for manual transmissions, leading to reduced choice for buyers in the new car market.