The car enthusiast is a dying breed. No, I don’t mean those kids with imports that sound like farts. I mean the true automotive mechanic that loves old school American muscle and isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty. This truly concerns me. Automobiles are the exact picture that comes to mind when anyone thinks of classic Americana. With a growing lack of respect for these immaculate examples of art, the real car enthusiast will soon become extinct. Before I begin to explain why this is a problem, it is important to understand what the car culture is.

The car culture consists of grease monkeys with a passion for fast, loud, and fun Detroit iron. The car culture is a wonderful thing to be a part of. It is just breath taking to see classis cars from the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s restored to the exact way they came off the assembly line (or better) nearly 50 years ago. To the true car enthusiast, cars aren’t just cars; they are works of art that resemble each owner’s individual personality. Unlike the plastic full cars of today, classic cars have their own personality that everyone loves to see. One of the best things about the car culture is the people and their stories. Every gear head has their own story and every car has theirs. The car culture is more of a family than just a group of people. As time moves on and technology advances, this family gets constantly forgotten.

With technology advancing at a very rapid rate, these older cars are becoming less practical. People are also seeing these cars as jalopies that have no good use other than becoming scrap metal. No one ever sees the potential that these “junk” cars have. Imports are also making a big impact on the true car culture. Kids see these cheap economic cars and think they’re the greatest things in the world. People are completely blind to what a real car is anymore. Why is this bad though? Well, America is losing what really made it America. The automotive industry made America in the early and mid 1900s. Automobiles were hand-crafted and just screamed “America!” If these cars die out, the people will too, and America will lose what made it America. Not to mention that these people are the ones that will fix your car when it breaks down. Everything mechanical will eventually break and if no one is around to fix it, there will be a giant dent in your wallet. At this point, something needs to be done.

Thankfully, this problem can be fixed quite easily. Get kids involved early. Take them to car shows, take them to a race track, or even get them some hot wheels cars. Kids don’t get enough exposure to an amazing hobby. Not only is being a part of the car culture fun, but someone can make a job out of it that will always be in demand. I am glad that I got involved early. Not only did I find something that I love to do and be a part of, but I also found a career opportunity in it. Children remember a lot and if they get introduced to an awesome hobby early, they will remember it forever.

I am very surprised how quickly the car culture has taken a turn for the worse. My dad always tells me stories of his friends when he was a teen. It seemed as if everyone had a cool car and worked on it themselves. When I compare that to my friends now, I’m just astonished. I have about five friends that actually know what I talk about while the rest sit there dumbfounded. My dad got me started and those moments at car shows or anytime I was with him around cars were the best times in my life. The car culture is dying out; that is clear to see. The only hope for the survival of this family is in younger generations.