TIL the auto transmission on the LCI E90 was a cost option

I was always under the impression that the auto transmission in the LCI E90 was a no cost option because I thought I read somewhere that they increased MSRP to make it a no cost option. That was until I came across this ad:

This 328i came up when I searched “manual BMW” in my local GVL craigslist. While not a manual, something else caught my eye, and that was a line on the window sticker:

That’s right, someone paid $1375 to ruin not have to shift gears in this E90, which I thought can’t be right it was a no cost option. Well, after some searching it appears I was wrong, and it was in fact always a cost option.

2008 (before the LCI):

2011 (post LCI):

Well, guess I was wrong about the transmission costing options.