The End of the Manual Transmission

The automatic transmission has been mass produced since the 1940s, but until the ‘60s most people changed gears manually. Why? The clutch and gearbox was, and is, a simple, robust and reliable power transmission technology that costs less, weighs less and engages the driver with the vehicle in a way no automated system can. But modern automatic transmission technology delivers superior performance, and few drivers want the inconvenience of manual shifting. That’s a shame, because it's an experience that everyone should enjoy at least once in their driving life.

* * *

Want to watch this podcast as a video? End of the Line is available on engineering.com TV along with all of our other shows such as This Week in Engineering, Designing the Future, and, Manufacturing the Future.