What is TMGPS.org?

As we trend toward an increasingly automated driving experience, it’s vital we preserve and celebrate our bond with the automobile and protect our right to the open road. The car is an expression of liberty and freedom like no other. Its significance to our culture is profound.

The Manual Gearbox Preservation Society started as a t-shirt, a sort of satirical statement about the state of the automobile, and an opportunity for driving enthusiasts to express their love for driving manuals. Over the past five years, that t-shirt has started thousands of conversations between strangers and can be found at pretty much any car show in the world. Over 100,000 people have joined the movement on Facebook. The dialog and enthusiasm from such a passionate group of people is both amazing and humbling.

TMGPS.org is the next logical step in our progression as an organization. TMGPS.org serves as a hub where we can organize our thoughts and ideas, as well as share our love for cars and driving. We understand that the evolution of the automobile to an autonomous battery electric vehicle is inevitable. The current business models and economies of scale are less and less sustainable, and the potential autonomous electric product offerings will make the concept of car ownership ridiculous to a majority of people. It’s exciting to think about all the possibilities and potential for cars of the future, but we believe it’s vital that we retain a place for those of us who love cars for what we’ve always known them as, in all their glory.

It seems likely that the internal combustion engine and traditional automobile will continue to be a useful and practical solution in some context, but as future alternatives erode market share, the already failing economies of scale will face increasing pressure. Elements which we consider essential to motoring will be relegated to a handful of niche options, likely in utilitarian models flanked by a few recreational and sports offerings. Whether this happens over the next decade or 50 years is irrelevant. It is crucial that we act now to protect our ability to own and operate soulful machines despite increasing hostility toward their ability to thrive.

To be continued…