Ford Bringing Back Fun, Old Automobile Feature - but Are They, Really?

Red State ^ | March 29, 2025 | Ward Clark

[Red Badger]

In my younger years, I always preferred cars and trucks with manual transmissions. I learned to drive on a manual transmission, and always liked them; in a car, such as the '65 Mustang I had for a while, there was nothing more fun that opening up the four-barrel on that 289, smoking off a line, and slamming through the gears. In a 4x4 truck, I always preferred a manual when off-roading, as it made it easier to ensure your motor was in its best power-band, keeping the RPMs right where you wanted them while climbing up a steep trail or fording a creek.

Manual transmissions have pretty much disappeared from American cars nowadays. But, in an interesting move, Ford Motors - my brand of choice - is bringing them back.

Sort of.

Ford has just filed a patent to bring back a classic driving experience - but only 18 percent of Americans would know how to use it.

The automaker has submitted paperwork to bring stick shifts to electric vehicles.

Manual transmissions have all but vanished from the American new car market. Last year, less than 1 percent of new vehicles sold in the U.S. had manual gearboxes.

In 1990, that figure sat between 25 and 30 percent.

The patent application, published on March 20, outlines a system designed to replicate the tactile experience of shifting through gears – even though there are no actual gears to shift.

The setup includes a traditional-looking shift lever mounted in a raised console, similar to the ones found in gas-powered sports cars.

But instead of mechanical linkages, the system uses electronic signals to adjust the EV's driving feedback based on how the driver moves the stick.

I'm inclined to ask, "What's the point?" I mean, at the end of the day, what is Ford trying to accomplish here?

'Electric vehicles lack operator to vehicle physical feedback that is advantageous in conventional motor vehicles,' the company wrote in the patent.

The filing arrives at a time when fewer drivers in the US know how to operate a stick shift at all.

That much is certain; one of the best theft deterrents you can have in a car now is a manual transmission.

I'll agree that driving a car, especially a high-performance car, is a lot of fun with a manual transmission, and yes, you're more engaged with the vehicle. In everyday driving, you get so used to shifting gears that you don't even think about it; it becomes reflex. You are, essentially, the automatic transmission. But for an EV? I just don't quite see the point.

But, then, as my grandfather was fond of saying, "Every cat its own rat." Maybe Ford will sell some of these. Maybe they'll catch on. I'm inclined to think that they'll be a bust, but who knows? I could be wrong - I mean, it's bound to happen eventually.

Many years ago, I had a great truck - a 1974 Bronco, the original small, tough Bronco, all steel outside, all steel and vinyl inside. It had manual everything; you even had to get out and turn the hubs to "LOCK" by hand. It would go up and down trees, or very nearly, and at the end of elk season, I could take it into the car wash, open the doors, and just hose out the interior. One summer day in 1995 or so, My Dad and I were crawling up a jeep trail in that electric-green Bronco - we called it the Green Machine. Dad commented that if Ford would make that exact truck then, all metal, no frills, manual everything, and sell it for $10-15k, he reckoned they wouldn't be able to build them fast enough. I know I'd buy one.

But that's not the technological world we live in now. Ford is bringing back a semblance of the famous old stick-shift, but not really. And that, while interesting, is kind of sad.

[Chode]

you gotta be friggin kiddin me...

goes right along wi the fake engine sound too, right???

[Red Badger]

Well, that’s no problem any more. There’s no engine and no transmission..................

[Red Badger]

I think that’s an option..............🙄

[Nervous Tick]

>> Valet parking had only one person who could drive a stick.

I’m surprised you’d trust a valet to park that awesome car. ;-)

[Myrddin]

My first car was a 1967 VW. It was t-boned at an unmarked intersection in National City, CA. Mine was the 6th of 8 accidents in that intersection that month. An interim replacement was an old station was (Olds Vista Cruiser) with a V8, auto transmission, power steering, power brakes. On the way home at 11:30 PM I was traveling at 45 MPH toward a T-intersection. A right turn was required. The engine quit. No headlights. No power brakes. No power assisted steering. I hauled the steering wheel right and got it around the corner while applying the emergency brake. I stopped safely. What happened? The battery connection broke loose. I vowed never again.

My next car was an Olds Omega. Inline-6. 3-in-the-tree manual. Manual brakes. Manual steering. Nothing dependent on a running engine. It never failed me over the years I owned it. In succeeding years, a Saturn SL2 with manual transmission and Porsche 914 followed.

I would welcome a manual again. Both of my 4x4 F150 trucks are automatic transmission, power brakes, power steering. The 2015 SuperCrew had a catastrophic brake master cylinder failure...in my driveway. All of the brake fluid was sucked into the vacuum system and expelled out the exhaust pipe. After much cajoling, Ford repaired it at their expense. It was a class problem 2011 to 2014 with official recalls. Apparently not resolved and appeared in my 2015.

[Chode]

*

[ridesthemiles]

BEYOND PATHETIC.

I LOVE MY 1976 1 ton 4 speed dually 454, with Granny low.

[Responsibility2nd]

So Ford has reinvented the Paddle Shifters?

What. Ever.

[Responsibility2nd]

Ford Mustangs have them too. They even pipe the V8 sound in through your stereo speakers.

[Responsibility2nd]

They also made a twin stick shifter.

 

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“What’s the point?”

No kidding. Almost nobody will know exactly how it was supposed to feel since they never drove a manual transmission car. So how will they judge authenticity? But, what’s the point?

[Responsibility2nd]

My wife’s subaru has a “10 speed” CVT. There are shift points programmed into the CVT that simulates the transmission “shifting”. You can even put the stick in manual and use the paddle shifters...on a CVT.
It seemed silly when we bought it but it works well and the car is awesome.

 

Mega Dittoes. Although I think it's an 8 speed CVT. My 2025 Forester has this and it is the smoothest transmission I've ever owned. I was leery at first of getting a CVT. Older models would drone on and on. And of course Nissan CVT's have been and still are crap.

The 9 speed conventional transmission I had in my Chrysler was always in the wrong gear at the wrong time and it spent so much time upshifting and down shifting and hunting for the right gear. I could sense a major tranny failure on the horizon so I traded it off at 60,000 miles.

[Myrddin]

A few years back I weighed a Suzuki S40 vs a Yamaha SR400. The SR400 won for having fuel injection. The downside of the SR400 is kickstart only. I have a saccular aortic aneurysm that makes my big bikes (Yamaha Roadliner, Harley Fat Bob, Harley XL1200, Kawasaki Versys, Kawasaki VN900) a concern for their weight. The S40 is light and electric start. I converted my DR650 to a supermoto format with 17 inch front/rear wheels, street tires, larger front disk brakes and new odometer drive for 17" wheel vs stock 21" wheel. The smaller 17 inch wheels on the DR work better with my 30 in inseam. It's fairly light and electric start. I'm going to need to sell one or more bikes to make room for the S40. I found a 2017 for $2500 if I can secure it before another buyer gets it.

I had the Fat Bob out in 2012 for a round trip San Diego->Pocatello->San Diego for a birthday vacation at home in Pokey. Navigating I-15 at 80 MPH with UPS triple trailers is not for the faint of heart.

[linMcHlp]

Garrett Air Research general sales manager was my passenger, whom I was taking to the airport.

On the way, he told me:

The Ford Motor Co. 2.3L 4-cyl engine (cast iron block) was developed for the purpose of being turbo-charged.

But, at some point after that development, the Ford finance committee stepped in and detuned the project. Their argument was, "Nobody will buy it."

And so, the dull, lousy camshaft, EPA-satisfying, gas guzzling 2.3L for the Pinto and the Mustang II, was produced.

But, some true believers at Ford Motor Co. (and Ford Motorsports) kept "a project" going, that led to "test marketing in the South." (Read: NASCAR territory).

Despite the fact that the "Mustang/Thunderbird" was a lot of weight (at the time) for the turbocharged 2.3L, "a project" prevailed, and the spirit of the project led to manufacturing.

I was driving a Ford Pinto wagon, at the time of the trip to the airport.

The Ford finance committee had also required a silly idea for manufacturing the 2.3L engine: The elimination of one of the engine oil passages that would normally help to lubricate the cylinder walls.

And, my Pinto wagon had one of those engines. The car lasted 3 years.

In the winter of 1978, in a blizzard, heading west on I-70, the car could only do 25 miles per hour. I continued west, to where I knew there was a Ford dealer north of Dayton, OH.

There, I immediately traded in the Pinto Wagon, for a new car.

Some weeks later, I returned to that dealership for warranty work on the new car. The saleman told me what they found re the Pinto Wagon engine.

The engine cylinders were worn out by the lack of required engine oil lubrication, and then I learned the rest of the story (preceding).

A friend bought the Turbo T-Bird and loved it.

[Carry_Okie]

They’ll never touch my ‘68 Dodge Power Wagon flatbed dump.

Never.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Yes, I was a real badass in my '52 stepside with 3-on-the-tree.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

That is a fact.10 speed auto in a truck is just gay.6 speed manual in a 250 would just be awesome.i put manuals in all my old mercurys and shelve the autotragics.

[Bob434]

I learned to drive with a “3 on the tree” van. Loved that thing! Drove the wheel soffit of it. Was driving down the road once a d the drive xhaft was so bad, it let loose in heavy traffic- that was an adventure getting it off the road safely. Thankfully no one was hurt but what amess it was lol. A friend and his girl broke the driver’s seat fooling around once, and I had to drive sitting on an upside down 5 gallon pail for about a week before I found another at a junk yard.

My young and idiot years- thankfully back in the day cops were really pretty,decent. I shoulda lost my license many times, but they gave me massive breaks I didn’t deserve - but yeah, me and that van had a ton of adventures together. Tough vehicle. Slant 6 in it. Got it stuck so many times out muddin that I lost count lol.

[Bob434]

I like the looks of that- I like the more conventional,early model t-birds, but thst style is kinda good,lookin too

[T.B. Yoits]

Awesome. I had no idea Mitsubishi had a twin stick shifter like that. It's like the 1950s GMC pickup trucks.

I threw a bunch of notes here for anyone else following the thread.

I couldn't find a video of someone using the twin stick in a Mitsubishi but I found a 3 minute video of someone using a twin stick in an old Ford. He drives it with overdrive for each gear as well as without overdrive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gah-IMiV4Aw

I'm familiar with the 4WD Hi-Lo where there are two levers but they're not used at the same time.

L1
L2
L3
L4
L5 (topping out at 15 mph)

or
1
2
3
4
5

The "twin stick", using both levers like they use in tractor-trailers and old pickup trucks is:
Gearshift: 1st gear and Overdrive Lever: back 1st regular (or "direct")
Overdrive Lever: forward 1st overdrive

Gearshift: 2 and Overdrive Lever: back 2nd regular
Overdrive Lever: forward 2nd overdrive

Gearshift: 3 and Overdrive Lever: back 3rd regular
Overdrive Lever: forward 3rd overdrive

Gearshift: 4 and Overdrive Lever: back 4th regular
Overdrive Lever: forward 4th overdrive

You can see how it really helps with a low rpm but high torque engine.