I'd rather have the tach for sure, even in an automatic. Most "gauges" today are nothing more than fancy idiot lights - they don't measure anything. They just provide a visual go/no go sensation, meaning it's just telling you that oil pressure is above some set point in the circuitry. Same with voltmeters.
Now, if you're talking about going back to the good old days, then yes, I'd rather have gauges. My old Miata (almost a classic now!) has real gauges. It also has a real throttle connection, and all kinds of neat classic stuff. But those days are gone. Everything today is electronic. I like the setup in my new Ram - it has an info screen setting that will tell me the exact transmission temperature, oil temp, oil pressure, voltage, etc. Not on a gauge, but listed on a screen.