Agree that fun driving is essentially over, but I don't think automatic cars are as common outside North America.
In Europe ~80% of cars have manual transmission, mainly due to the (in the past) better fuel efficiency.
Modern automatic cars have often slightly better fuel efficiency, but they cost quite a bit more to buy and maintain, and very nearly everyone knows how to drive stick, so people usually don't bother.
Edit: As we stop having fun driving cars, should we finally also say goodbye to race biking, and fun motorcycling, once and for all?
Honestly, I lived in Antwerp for a while... I think the transmission is the least of their problems.