There are few things more satisfying than driving a fast car with three pedals, a proper gear lever and the deeply reassuring knowledge that you are personally responsible for making the whole thing move.

Sadly, the automotive industry has decided that this is all a bit unnecessary.

The manual gearbox is disappearing faster than a supercar’s fuel gauge on a track day. But Aston Martin might be tempted to give it one last glorious outing.

Aston Martin CEO Adrian Hallmark recently revealed that the company is considering three possibilities: develop a proper manual gearbox, create a simulated manual like Ferrari, or simply stick with the automatic transmissions that everyone else seems to want.

There is, unfortunately, a problem.

Modern Aston Martins are stuffed with safety and driver-assistance technology. Hallmark says fitting a manual gearbox could interfere with systems such as adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking. Re-engineering those systems, he suggests, could cost more than developing an entirely new gearbox.

Which is rather a lot of money to spend on something that makes the car slower. For Aston Martin, though, this isn’t really an engineering problem. It’s an accounting problem.

How many customers would actually buy a manual? And how much extra would they pay for it?

Aston Martin doesn’t have the production volumes of BMW or Porsche, nor does it have the absurd margins of a tiny hypercar manufacturer. A bespoke manual could therefore become a magnificent engineering achievement that makes absolutely no financial sense.

There’s also the awkward fact that modern automatics are brilliant. They’re quicker, smoother and better at changing gear than most humans.

Aston Martin hasn’t decided whether to give us one last three-pedal sports car. But if it does, enthusiasts should probably start saving now.

Because the manual gearbox isn’t dead yet.

It’s just waiting for the accountant to leave the room.