Recliner wrote:

Isn't it still possible to buy at least some sporty cars with
traditional stick shifts in the US? But, certainly, the mainstream
and rental markets abandoned the stick shift a long time ago. I wonder
how many American drivers would be able to use a clutch pedal?

I'm sure there are still some available, especially at the higher price ranges.
Manual transmissions used to be standard on the lowest priced "econoboxes." Not
at all today though. As you say - I doubt very many people in the US could drive
a stick today outside someone who drove an HGV.