[ninalanyon]

Volvo made automatic versions of its cars from the late sixties onwards. A colleague had an automatic 244 in the early 1980s.

Here in Norway automatics are not finally catching on, they are ubiquitous and the driving instructors' association is campaigning to get the rules changed so that you can pass the driving test on an automatic and later simply do a conversion course to allow one to drive manual.

And of course it will all be moot quite soon because EV sales already outnumber ICE sales nearly nine to one here. Volkswagen and Hyundai no longer sell ICE cars in Norway. Volkswagen still sells ICE vans and pickups though.