I have noticed over the last few months more than ever that car enthusiasts are an endangered breed. There are few of us left in the world that truly still have a passion for the automobile and the culture that has surrounded it since creation. There are many reasons that this sad occurrence has developed.
First, our society has moved away from being hands on. We now prefer to play video games in the warmth and comfort of our homes more than we prefer to be outside working. Our youth no longer want to turn wrenches, they prefer to just get in their mediocre and bland stock cars and drive from point A to point B.
Second, the cars of today are significantly more complex than the cars of yesterday. This makes it harder for a younger person to work on their car. This can be very discouraging to young people who tend to give up easily. I know during my endeavors to reassemble my Datsun 240z, there have been many days where i have found myself so frustrated that i had to stop working on it, only to find out that i was making a stupid mistake that i could learn from.
Thirdly and the largest reason i believe we are losing interest in the automobile, spending habits. They have changed drastically from what they were decades ago. In the 1960's, a youth had a select amount of things to spend their money on. They could go to the movies, buy a record, and some would attend concerts...etc. Many often spent their money on making sure that they had a cool car, and ways to improve it.
However in today's fast paced world, we spend our money on so many things that they never could have dreamed of. We put down thousands on video games, in virtual worlds that never really amount to any substance.
We spend a lot of money on food. In the 1960's fast food was just beginning to take off. There were some fast food restaurants, but the average person only ate out if it was a special occasion. Today, we eat out constantly. I will be the first to admit that i am guilty of this. It is convenient and saves time. This takes away a huge portion of money that could be saved on large purchases.
In conclusion, as we continue to expand the amount of things that we include as needs in our daily lives, the amount of money that we have to spend continues to be spread thinner and thinner. This tearing of our budgets is killing car enthusiasm. No longer do people have extra money that they can use for their cars. This will continue to become more evident until the car culture is left with only die-hards. In today's fast paced world, its a lot easier to drive beige, and live extravagantly.
This is an endangered hobby unless we take steps today to encourage a change and enthusiasm in the car industry.
