It seems like manual transmission muscle cars typically bring more money than automatics. It all boils down to what people are willing to pay.
Going back to the early sixties when you could get a 327 Corvette with a two speed Powerglide or a four speed manual. For me the four speed car wins hands down. As time went on the automatics got better and surpassed manual transmissions with more gear ratios and faster shifting. Fast forward to 2022, the automatic powered cars are always faster. Yes, the manual transmission car is more engaging, I love driving a manual transmission car through the mountains. Even though it’s not funny, I like watching videos of some young punk (car thief) who never drove a stick, trying to steal one! I like having an automatic in my Trans Am as it is really just a cruiser. But I love shifting gears and working the clutch on my motorcycles.
In 1970 as a sophomore in High school, through a work study program I got a job in a local transmission shop. My first day on the job they had me pull a cast iron Powerglide out of a 62 Chevy. It took a good three hours and I found out how little I really knew. Over a six year period I rebuilt lot of automatics, GM turbo 300, 350, 400s and Powerglides. Chrysler 727s and 904s. Ford C4 and C6. These were the models I was familiar with, while the owners of the shop worked on some of the older models like Slim Jim’s (Roto Hydramatics), Dynaflows, Cruise-O-Matic, ETC. Many had to be rebuilt with less than 50K miles on them. Not because of hard part failures like planetary gear, bearings or pump failures, but because the fluid was never changed. Most rebuilds only required clutch plates, bushings and seals.
Going back 50 years ago most American cars had automatics. Yes, many muscle cars had four speeds. Because they were driven hard, they frequently required clutch replacements. When the internals on a manual transmission failed, as in gears breaking, it was often catastrophic and expensive.
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