The number of automatic cars on UK roads has risen by 118 percent in a decade – and autos now make up almost one in three cars in use.

The statistic is a stark contrast to a little over a decade ago. Back in 2014, automatics comprised only 16.3 percent of the cars on Britain’s roads.

This means the number of automatics has increased from 7.1 million to more than 15.5 million in just a decade.

The number of manual cars has only increased by 2.4 percent, from 36.6 million to 37.5 million.

Automotive data specialist CAP HPI says the volume of automatics has increased ‘exponentially’ every year since 2014 – while manual numbers have fallen for the past five years.

Last year, more than 1.5 million new automatic cars were registered, a near-tripling of 2014’s 538,000 cars.

Manual cars, meanwhile, have plummeted during the last decade, from 708,000 in 2014 to a mere 274,000 last year.

Brands that are among the automatic leaders include Kia, which accounts for 5.1 percent of all automatic registrations, Land Rover with 4.0 percent and MG with 3.9 percent.

Automatic appeal

“Changing driving habits, especially in congested urban areas, have made automatics more appealing to drivers,” said CAP HPI senior data director Stacey Warn.

“Advances in technology over the past decade have also greatly improved automatic transmissions’ efficiency and responsiveness.

“The rise in popularity of EVs, which are always automatic, has significantly contributed to the increasing shift towards automatics over manual.”

Car makers have responded by reducing manual gearbox line-ups – with some big brands eliminating them entirely.

What’s more, growing numbers of new drivers are opting for automatic-only driving licences. In 2022, there were 550,000 drivers with auto-only licenses; by 2022, this had more than doubled to over 1.1 million.

“Estimates suggest that by next year, a quarter of learners will qualify with a license limited to automatic cars only,” added Warn.

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Bentley has revealed its latest one-off customer commission for the coachbuilt Batur coupe.

Only 18 examples of the ultra-exclusive Batur will be produced, and ‘The Black Rose’ is one of three cars in right-hand drive. 

Each Batur is personalised to its buyer’s chosen specification by the Bentley Mulliner Bespoke Studio. However, this particular car takes individual customisation a stage further.

Along with Satin Rose Gold exterior detailing, the Batur’s cabin features an industry-first demonstration of 3D printing with 18-carat rose gold.

Black and gold

On the outside, a unique ‘Black Rose’ colour scheme uses Beluga Black metallic paint for the majority of the car’s body.

Vast amounts of Satin Rose Gold feature on the dramatic front grille, door mirror caps, lower sections of the body kit and 22-inch alloy wheels.

The so-called ‘endless bonnet line’ is also finished in Satin Rose Gold, as are the lower air intakes and rear diffuser. 

The Black Rose’s crowning glory, though, is Bentley’s gold Additive Manufacturing 3D printing technique. This sees 210 grams of hallmarked 18-carat rose gold added to the car’s interior.

All that glitters is gold

A collaboration with goldsmiths Cooksongold, based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, the rose gold is used for the drive mode selector dial, organ stop air vent controls and a special insert on the steering wheel.

The remainder of the Batur’s cabin is trimmed in Beluga black leather and charcoal grey tweed fabric. Its dashboard veneers are painted in Black Rose metallic paint to match the exterior paintwork.

Mechanically, the Black Rose is the same as the other Batur coupes. That means a 740hp 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 engine, which is amplified by a titanium exhaust system.

Bentley has not revealed a price for The Black Rose commission, but the starting figure for a Batur is £2 million. The ‘standard’ solid gold interior trim also adds at least £20,000.

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