Mini Stops Production of Manual Transmissions due to the Component Shortages

• Mini wants to simplify its product offering due to the supply crisis

• The automaker is a favorite of enthusiasts due to its sporty compact cars

• The manual transmission is getting less and less popular and the move towards electric cars will likely see its end

Mini recently announced it will stop producing cars equipped with a manual transmission due to the ongoing component shortages and supply instability.

The automaker says doing so will allow it to simplify its product offering and benefit from more production stability, which should prevent having to stop the assembly lines due to missing parts, thus speeding up the delivery of cars.

This is a slightly surprising decision, since Mini is one of the brands whose manual transmissions enjoy an above average popularity. Indeed, the sporty nature of the 3-door Mini (and the brand’s other models) make the manual transmission is relatively popular choice among enthusiasts.

Nevertheless, the manual transmission as a whole has seen its take-rate drop considerably over the decades and cars where drivers need to row their own gears are now only a fraction of automaker’s sales, with many brands abandoning it completely.

In addition, the move towards electric cars means that the days of the manual transmission are numbered, since electric motors don’t need a transmission at all.

According to Mini, this is a temporary measure, but it is likely that the next generation of the 3-door and 5-door models will be offered only with an automatic when it arrives early next year. This doesn’t mean that a manual won’t be added later, but it would be the first time Mini buyers don’t have the choice of a manual.