Agree; the claim about engine torque versus clutches is garbage. Both manual and automatic shifters have clutches.
Proof that it is garbage.....Kenworth trucks.
They could build a trans that could handle any amount of torque and HP..
I am told that there specialty builders who will and do build manuals.
That said, I drove manuals for 70 years, but my last three pickups had/have automatics....Two Ford F350’s and the present Ramm 3500.
Fords were bad about the clutch going bad and locking the transmission at most inconvenient times and places.
I do think the Ford automatic transmission is smoother and superior to that in the Ram but overall I would never go back to Ford.
I don’t know. I managed to twist the center out of a fairly high dollar clutch with an over fueled 12 valve Cummins. The automatic is able to soak up some of the shock loads that a torque monster throws at it. What probably added to the demise of mine is that on light loads, the cruise control which was designed for a low torque gas engine acts too aggressively and will cause the truck start buckling. That’s on about 400hp and 900+ ft/lbs torque.
I’m sure those sled pulls didn’t help it either.
... and, until relatively recently, every semi truck had a manual transmission. Manuals are dying for two reasons: (a) less than 10% of potential customers know how to drive one; and (b) modern automatics are almost as fuel-efficient as a manual driven by an expert.
I went through three trucks with automatic transmissions that crapped out after just over 100K miles. Always ended up being the torque converter for the Overdrive option. I finally learned to just leave the damned thing in the overdrive position and never turn it off to get more torque at lower speeds. My 13 year old F150 is still going strong.