Simple. The automatic transmission was developed and marketed for women. And women just want to pull the lever once and drive until it runs out of fuel or breaks.
The OEM’s knew by the early 1960’s that women were making car buying decisions in spite of what the husband said. Another direct correlation to the downfall of the country.
Neither my mom or my wife gets to buy a car. My dad or my brother and I pick the car for my mom and I buy a car for the wife and bring it home and and her the keys.