Is it still the case in the UK that if you pass your driving test in an automatic you are NOT licensed for a manual, but if you pass in a manual you are licensed for both? Pretty sure that used to be the case.

 

As a Brit myself albeit some 15 years after our move to the US, I can confirm that this was indeed the case, and I believe it still is. If you pass in auto, that's all you're licensed to drive.

 

Aha, yep. I have my license around here somewhere, probably says on it somewhere - I'm British too, though its been 24 years for me.

 

That certainly makes sense to me, but it would be the death knell for being able to buy a manual transmission vehicle in the U.S. It's getting harder and harder to find one of any make anywhere on a dealer lot.

 

It's still the case.

 

It's also getting harder to find anyone (at least in the DC area) that knows how to drive any kind of vehicle well, manual or automatic. Foosh, you know what I mean.
I suspect that most folks buying the super or junior super cars with power approaching 4 digits are looking to accelerate fast, not drive fast. I'm not certain I would buy into the need to specially license MT drivers, but I would subscribe to the need for all drivers of vehicles with weight/power ratios under 10 to attend high performance driving schools.

 

Quite true. My learning experience involved a 5 minute lesson from my older brother in his brand new '68 Mustang fastback, him getting out of the car and telling me to go practice. His last last words as I jack-rabbited away from a standstill "and I'll kill you if you ride the clutch". He was quite an enlightened brother,but still quite p...ed when I didn't return for a few hours .