Re: incremental change.
Weight dictated FBW on any SST, with the Concorde's famous rams's horn control columns and "feedback". Built by the predecessors of Airbus.
CONCORDE SST : FLIGHT SYSTEMS
Love the analogy (don't you realise we mainly build roundabouts to stress American tourists, particularly if they are not from Utah....?!) Do Ford/Chrysler/General Motors, when they sell cars in the UK, either:
(1) move the steering wheel to the right of the gear shift; or
(2) abolish the steering wheel in favour of side sticks without (artificial) feedback?
Incremental, even when it involves a bit of a leap....
The serious point, when Airbus embraced automation ahead of Boeing (not instead of Boeing - see B777 onwards), is that there were various options.
Some fast jet pilots were familiar with sticks (side or otherwise). Most civil airline pilots were not.
SSs and the absence of "feedback" were not critical to the automation drive, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise - see Concorde/A300. It was a decision on one aspect of automation.