Marketplace Shifting to Manual Transmissions

The decline of the manual gearbox is something that's been well-publicized in the automotive world. With dual-clutch gearboxes supplanting the clutch pedal in everything from Porsches to Volkswagens, historically sporting manufacturers like Lamborghini have sacrificed their last manual gearbox at the altar of higher performance, while typically manually-shifted economy cars enjoy the trickle-down effect to offer would-be buyers cheaper and cheaper dual-clutch systems for increased economy. 

But, according to sales figures out of the United States for the first quarter, it would appear that the manual gearbox is enjoying a bit of a resurgence, recording sales that account for 6.5% of all new vehicles sold. And while that's still a pretty pathetic figure, there are shining beacons within the market that inspire hope: vehicles like the Ford Focus, that has a surprising 10% manual transmission take-rate; a figure that doubles Ford's own expectations.