Automatic drivers are baffled after seeing how a manual 'stick shift' works
- American automatic drivers have been left baffled by a viral video of manual transmission
- The mechanics are shown alongside the stick shift
- Manual cars are becoming obsolete in the US
Published on Jul 03, 2024 at 4:14 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jul 03, 2024 at 7:35 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
If you don’t want to see how to see how the sausage is made – look away now as American automatic drivers have been left baffled at a viral video on the manual transmission of a stick shift car.
The footage shows the shift lever and inner mechanics of a Chevrolet Sail working in tandem.
And, while it’s weirdly hypnotic, many were left feeling confused by the under-the-hood mechanics.
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The manual stick shift video
The video was originally uploaded to YouTube by @CarWahe and later shared to X by Massimo, known as @Rainmaker1973.
There it was viewed more than 440,000 times in the first 24 hours.
The video shows the stick shift being moved through gears 1-5 and reverse.
The video is side-by-side stitched with the inner machine parts – including the shifter mechanism – moving in tandem.
Is driving an automatic easier?
While the stick shift was once a feature of all cars, it’s been replaced by automatic transmission in the US – aside from coupes or sports cars.
The Aston Martin Valinant is one notable example.
Driving a stick shift is a more difficult skill to master – as this UK-based driving instructor can attest.
Per explainthatstuff.com: “Gears transmit power from the crankshaft (the rotating axle that takes power from the engine) to the driveshaft running under the car that ultimately powers the wheels.”
Working like levers, they can be used to increase speed, force or change direction.
Generally speaking, lower gears deliver more power, while higher gears supply more speed.
“I feel like most Americans need to see this. A small minority even know how to drive a manual,” one comment said.
“No millennial will ever figure it all out,” said another.
Others questioned why manuals still exist at all. “Why use manual when you can use auto? It’s literally better,” they asked.
A take these car thieves who stalled a Porsche twice and gave up because they couldn’t drive a manual would certainly agree with.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
