Each decade that passes, fewer people report knowing how to drive manual ignition timing vehicles.

Each decade that passes, fewer people report knowing how to start an engine with a hand crank.

I've seen my uncle do it. He said you don't grip it with your hand, else you might break your arm should the motor jerk the crank away. Never did it myself.

Fewer people know how to use carbide lamps too.

Well if you’re ever in the Detroit area, stop by Ford’s Greenfield Village and they’ll happily give you rides in their Model T fleet. If you want to sit up front and ask questions, they’ll be glad to show you how to drive it (but not let you drive it - you need to get your own).

Top Gear did a piece a while back on car controls and the Model T did not look easy or intuitive to drive.

It looked shockingly capable off-road though, which I guess makes sense if you think about what counted for a road in the 1910s.

> which I guess makes sense if you think about what counted for a road in the 1910s.

Speaking of, there's a good book (although I admit I've barely started) called "American Road" by Pete Davies which draws a vivid picture of what roads were like and the politics involved in even deciding whether government should be involved in road building.

Its primary goal is describing a military motor train that crossed the country in 1919 (and may well have been a key opportunity that kept Eisenhower from leaving the military...history has some fascinating turning points).

FWIW, after my uncle showed me how to start his 1936-or-so truck, he gave me a ride around town. Got lots of waves. :)

Each decade that passes, fewer mechanics report knowing how to troubleshoot a mechanical distributor, a car without OBDII, or rebuild a carb.

Everybody who has a piece of small power equipment with a manual choke knows how to operate any other thing with a manual choke.

I suspect that the number probably peaked in the last 20yr.

Years back, in South Africa, I rented a car with a choke.

It was a cold morning, and wouldn't start.

The issue wasn't not knowing how to use a choke, but not knowing that it had a manual choke.

Yeah. Our generator has a choke. However, everything smaller than that is electric or an anachronism.

Arguably, the generator is an anachronism, but a comparably powered battery + solar cell would be $10,000’s, and the generator was << $1000.

Ironically, you'll still find a non-insignificant number of new motorcycles with carburetors and chokes.

In contrast with this example (and the other nested examples), manual transmissions are still broadly available in your new 2021 vehicle straight from the manufacturer.

In reality, manuals are barely available at all. Dealers rarely stock them, so you have to special order. And then the manufacturer forces you to either take “Option Package A” if you want the manual, or decides that you absolutely cannot have “Option Package B” if you choose the manual. All the choices go away once you’ve decided on a manual. It’s like they are offering them to make the magazine writers happy but doing their best to make sure nobody buys one.

IMO they're really there to provide the cheapest possible option for there "starting from as low as $X" marketing spiels. Of course they don't want to sell them if they can - they don't make anybody much money.

Yet they do exist (and from most major manufacturers), and if you're not after the bells and whistles, they make for a reasonable investment.

Not in the U.S.

Miata, Wrangler, Mustang, and a handful of others, but they’re the exception rather than the rule.

So that's Mazda, Ford, Dodge. I know Subaru (WRX, BRZ, STI), Jeep (Wrangler), Nissan (370), Audi (A3), and Chevy (Malibu) do as well.

You won't find them at dealers very often (they're not popular) but they are available for most of the budget lines provided by the manufacturers.

“Most budget lines” (which I’m skeptical is accurate) is different from “broadly available”, but I suppose lacking any precise definitions of either phrase it’s not a useful argument.

> which I’m skeptical is accurate

Feel free to look for yourself. They list it under "powertrain" in the specs pages.

> is different from “broadly available”,

FWIW, my definition boils down to: available from most manufacturers, in the major form factors (truck, SUV, sedan, compact, sport).

Well, as one counter-example, because there's far too much data to dig out of the aether, as far as I can tell there are only two manufacturers selling manual pickups: Jeep and Toyota.

No Chevy, Dodge, GMC, Ford. That's just one huge gap.

Update: also, if you extend that to SUVs, one of the hottest markets, I think the only model you add is the Ford Bronco.

So there are no entry-level pickups or SUVs as manuals. For CUVs you could probably add Kia Soul and Mazda, but not much else.

My list might be dated.. Fords Focus ST/RS, Fiesta ST; VW GTI, Golf R; Honda Civic SI, Civic Type R, Accord; Toyota Tacoma, FRS/86; Subaru WRX/STI, Forester, BRZ.

Most of those are performance oriented. Those that aren't will probably be all automatics.

Ford has discontinued US sales of the Focus and Fiesta.