Interesting you should mention Manumatic, DrJohn. It was called a Selective Automatic, but it was complicated and in the end, fragile. Made by Automotive Products, it was offered briefly in 1956 and '57 on the 1.5 litre BMC middle family sedans; Austin A50, Morris Oxford, MG Magnette and Wolseley 15/50 as well as the Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 236. They were so troublesome that most of them were recalled and retro-fitted with the normal 4-speed manual box. I read recently that one survivor was found in a barn; a Series III Morris Oxford. No-one was game to drive it in case it broke! Along came Borg-Warner with their bullet-proof 35 Series fully automatics, so the Manumatic was quickly forgotten. Rootes used a device called Smiths Easidrive for their Hillman Minx, but that soon was replaced by the B-W 35. AP went on to develop the Minimatic 4 speed fully automatic 'box for the Minis and 1100/1300s which was more successful.