Transmission: with our without indef. article?

[Nordic Bill]

Here's a fun one. Which sentence is correct here?:

My car has standard transmission.

My car has a standard transmission.

My car is a standard transmission.

I always sidestep that one with the slang "My car's a standard". But now it's time to ask the experts!

Bill

[mykwyner]

Only number 2 sounds good to me.

[Nordic Bill]

Thanks - I'll use that from now on.

[Casiopea]

Additionally,

My car's a standard. (not 'slang')

It's perrrfectly fine English, not to mention very common - pretty much the norm, too.

Other examples,

My car's (an) automatic.
My car's got (an) automatic transmission. (the article is optional)

[Nordic Bill]

Sorry, my mistake. I probably shouldn't have used the term slang there, but "colloquial" instead.

I assumed that by omitting the necessary element of the sentence that the adjective 'standard' modifies (i.e. 'transmission'), that such a construction would automatically take on a colloquial nuance despite its wide use. Just like She dashed out to the ladies'. (referring of course to the ladies' washroom).

[Casiopea]

She dashed out to the ladies'. (referring of course to the ladies' washroom).

That's an example of substantiation, or substantive, right.

Note, automatic is an adjective. It tells us what type or kind of car or transmission. If the noun it modifies is omitted but the article remains, automatic then functions substantively as a substitute noun.

Substantive Noun: The car's an automatic.

Without the article, automatic functions as an adjective.

Adjective: The car's automatic.