Ferrari Exec Delivers Brutal Blow To Manual Lovers originally appeared on Autoblog.
Don’t get excited about a manual Purosangue or 296
While Porsche still has a few manual sports cars, it’s been over a decade since Ferrari abandoned the stick shift with the California. While many enthusiasts get all giddy at the idea of a manual Ferrari, the truth of the matter is that the people who buy these cars mostly chose the automatic, hence the Italian marque’s decision to discontinue this gearbox option.
Although Ferrari recently hinted at a comeback for manual models, that now seems to be in doubt once more. At the reveal of the stunning new Amalfi, a Ferrari exec had a cheeky response when asked about the possible return of a manual.
Go Used Or Go Home
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“You missed! The manual gearbox, we already have it, in many of our classic cars,” said Enrico Galliera, Ferrari’s chief marketing and commercial officer when speaking to Evo. “You can go and drive our fantastic manual gearboxes on our fantastic events for our classic cars. Whoever wants to have this kind of classic experience, they can buy and restore our fantastic classics and come to our events.”
Although we weren’t there to cast judgment on Galliera’s tone when answering the question, this response had more than a hint of exasperation to it (we counted at least four “fantastics” in there) and possibly stems from him being asked about manual Ferraris one too many times.
“We offer Corsa Pilotti on classic cars because many people don’t know how to use the manual cars,” continued Galliera. “It’s an important experience that we can offer on our classic cars for the time being.”
Hard To Make A Case For A New Ferrari Manual
As a business, Ferrari is in a good place. In its first-quarter report for 2025, shipments were up by 1% year-on-year. Then again, this isn’t a brand that chases volumes, and looking beyond pure vehicle sales at Ferrari as a business, things are going well. Operating profit over the same period was up by 23%, net revenues grew by 13%, and net profit was up by 17%. So, it’s not as if the absence of a manual is affecting its bottom line.
Looking back at the California, thousands were sold with the dual-clutch automatic, and a mere three examples had a manual. That’s a lot of investment for a feature that so few buyers want. Furthermore, it’s not as if rivals are bombarding the market with manual options. Lamborghini, for example, last sold a manual in 2013 on the Gallardo.
Nostalgia is a powerful tool, though, and we’re sure Ferrari would have no trouble selling a limited-run, bespoke manual model that recalls the past. What we don’t see is the manual returning as an option on regular production models like the 296 or Purosangue.
As Galliera made clear, your best bet is to indulge in a classic Prancing Horse if you want to shift gears yourself.
Ferrari Exec Delivers Brutal Blow To Manual Lovers first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 8, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
