What name did Volkswagen give its semi-automatic transmission option introduced for the 1968 Beetle?

Volkswagen gave its semi-automatic transmission option the name Automatic Stick Shift. It debuted on the 1968 Volkswagen Beetle and was also offered on the Karmann Ghia.

Despite its name, the system was not a conventional fully automatic transmission. It combined a three-speed manual gearbox with a vacuum-operated automatic clutch. Touching the gear lever activated an electrical switch, which operated the clutch mechanism so the driver could change gears without using a clutch pedal.

A torque converter also allowed the car to idle in gear and pull away from a stop, giving it some automatic-transmission convenience. Drivers still selected the gears themselves, so it was best understood as a semi-automatic system. Volkswagen’s marketing name is sometimes shortened to Autostick or written AutoStick, but “Automatic Stick Shift” is the fuller name associated with the Beetle option. It should not be confused with later Chrysler systems that also used the Autostick name.