I've recently covered a couple informative pieces about the car companies going away from stick shifts, and not having an option if you don't like the automatic transmission http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2013/01/stupidest-thieves-of-week-could-not.html
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2012/08/stick-shift-vs-automatic.html
I can't find the link about the Ferrari no longer offering a stick in some model, American destination cars I suppose, because only 8 of 3000 were ordered with a stick last year... if I remember correctly, and I often don't
