Manual vs automatic vs DCT: gearbox share since the 1990s
Which share of new car generations was offered with a manual, a torque-converter automatic, a dual-clutch (DCT), a CVT or a single-speed transmission, and how many gears the top gearbox had. Our gearbox data starts in the 1990s; earlier decades have too few records.
Key findings
- Manual gearboxes were offered on 71.7% of 1990s generations and on 23.5% in the 2020s.
- Dual-clutch gearboxes went from 2.2% to 31.1%; single-speed units — electric cars — reach 28.8%.
- The top gearbox averages 7.4 gears in the 2020s, against 5.3 in the 1990s.
Data table
| Decade | Generations | Manual | Automatic | Dual-clutch (DCT) | CVT | Automated manual (AMT) | Single-speed (EV) | Average gears (top gearbox) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 46 | 71.7% (33) | 41.3% (19) | 2.2% (1) | 0.0% (0) | 2.2% (1) | 0.0% (0) | 5.3 |
| 2000s | 101 | 54.5% (55) | 60.4% (61) | 10.9% (11) | 2.0% (2) | 5.0% (5) | 0.0% (0) | 6 |
| 2010s | 227 | 36.1% (82) | 50.7% (115) | 25.6% (58) | 12.8% (29) | 4.0% (9) | 7.0% (16) | 7.1 |
| 2020s | 132 | 23.5% (31) | 40.9% (54) | 31.1% (41) | 12.1% (16) | 1.5% (2) | 28.8% (38) | 7.4 |
Methodology
Transmission types come from the versions of each generation. A generation offered with several types counts in each, so shares can add up to more than 100%. Single-speed transmissions are electric cars. Average gears = the mean of the highest gear count per generation, without single-speed units.
Passenger cars only: trucks, buses and vans are excluded (the same rule as our rankings).
Decades with fewer than 8 generations are not shown; the table gives the number of generations behind every figure.
Values come from the 1CARS catalog. Part of the specifications are extracted from our articles and not yet checked by an editor; obvious outliers are excluded. Figures describe the cars in our catalog, not the whole market.
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit “1CARS” and link to this page. License terms.