Do You Know How to Operate a Manual Transmission?

In the early 20th century, driving a car in the United States meant using a manual transmission, where drivers changed gears using a stick shift. The first modern manual transmission cars originated in France in the late 1800s. Manual transmissions remained standard until 1938, when General Motors introduced the Hydramatic transmission in Oldsmobile and Cadillac models, marking the debut of automatic transmissions. This innovation was later used in other brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce. A decade later, GM launched the Dynaflow transmission for Buicks.

Car enthusiasts have always loved manual transmissions for the greater control they offer, allowing for fun driving maneuvers.

However, manual transmissions became less popular over the years. By the mid-1980s, only about 20 percent of cars sold in the U.S. had them, and now it's below 5 percent. In Europe, though, manual transmissions are still preferred. Are you one of the few who can drive a stick shift? Test your skills with this quiz! Good luck, and hopefully you don’t stall!