Interest in cars with the younger generation, what happened?

**RippyD** · 11-09-2017, 10:28 PM

Assume that's correct. Does it take away from the fact that entry level cars are not more expensive now than 20 or 30 years ago?

**Klasse Act** · 11-10-2017, 07:30 PM

Ok, just a reset here. Great discussion and here's where we're at right now:

-Electronic devices are more important than the freedom a car gives you

-Its the bank bailout's fault

-New cars are too much money

-Insurance is too much money

These are the couple right off the top of my head, LOL. Like rock and roll, the generation before you was looked up to, to some degree and you wanted what they had but would always try to be a bit different because maybe they were "old". We would always get a beater as our first car, in most cases, its like a right of passage and for some it started there. "One day, I'm going to have a nice car", the seed is/was planted. For some reason, that took a detour, pun intended and I started the thread to tap into this, trying to find out "why the torch wasn't passed" or if it was, why didn't we make sure someone had a grip on it so it would keep on keeping on? I brought up music because it too seems to have gone the same route and yeah, I know you can find it but there was always good, new music on the radio, stuff that people knew about.

**custmsprty** · 11-10-2017, 08:58 PM

Then there is the other 98% of the population who see an automobile as nothing more than a way to get from point a to point b regardless of their income level. We've all seen and I continue to see everyday cars from beaters, to mid level to $150K dirty, abused, unwashed etc. We are the 1%-2% ers, always have been always will be.

**BudgetPlan1** · 11-10-2017, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by custmsprty

Then there is the other 98% of the population who a see an automobile as nothing more than a way to get from point a to point b

Is kinda funny that something we spend countless hours and hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars achieving is often summed up by most as "Oh, wash your car recently?" in passing as they walk on by without a second glance.

**ryanbabz71** · 11-10-2017, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by Klasse Act

I'm 47 years old, my buddy Hectour is 38 and we talk about cars all the time. I actually wish our conversations were recorded and/or were on a podcast because they seem to go everywhere. The other day we were talking about why there isn't more younger people at the cars and coffee shows? Also why there aren't more Japanese cars at the cars and coffee type shows? I can only speak for myself but when I was 19 I would attend a local cruise night with my 78' Caprice Classic 2 door. It certainly wasn't a fast car at that time but it was my pride and joy and I continued to build it up over the years. I took a year off of having a toy in 1994 but in 1995 I got behind a Cobra Mustang and it said "Have you been bitten lately" and I snapped, went to the bank that week and bought a used 1987 Grand National. I owned that car for 5 years and modded it every year I owned it, went to cruise nights and drove it everywhere, except during the winter, always had a winter beater with the toys, ofcoarse. A lot of people were really into having cars, it seemed like a right of passage, atleast to me, it was "cool", fast forward to today.

Today you've got teens not getting their drivers licenses, taking an Uber to get around and not being interested in cars in general, kinda like what's happened to rock and roll as well. I mean we attend cars and coffees all over the greater Chicagoland area, really nice areas as well as middle of the road areas and you just don't see the younger crowd. Its not about having the latest and greatest but rather what are YOU working on right now. It doesn't even have to be mainstream, I mean I modded a 78' Caprice Classic coupe and would always hear "why did you build a Grandpa car" or "why not a Monte Carlo or something lighter?" Since then I've always appreciated something "different", so there has to be others out there like this as well but cars and being into them has seemed to be relegated to a "thing of the past".

I brought up Japanese cars and here in the greater Chicagoland there are all types of people and import cars are very popular and there were even cruise nights that catered to them but they've literally dried up over night. I used to go to them when I had my CR-Z which was from 2011 to 2014, now they've gone away, like the big top was brought down and it left town. Where did these cars go? I should also note that at these shows ALL cars were welcomed too, unlike the classic car shows where people would always look down their noses at imports or newer cars, that "built, not bought" attitude or "Murica" tude. I look at it like this, there should be a movement to keep the flame alive with cars, now more than ever because we've got this "movement" to electrify cars and even take the steering wheel and pedals out of the car, forget about "save the manuals", how about save the cars and get back into them.

So I ask, to everyone here, do you notice the same waning interest in cars with the younger generation? Btw, I'm not yelling at anyone to get off my lawn either, LOL, just wanted to pick the brains of my fellow geeks out there, thank you!

Around here I notice quite a few younger people at cars and coffee events

Don’t worry I am raising mine right. He needs to stop watching YouTube though seems GTRs are popular with the video bloggers

We got there and the rims were dusty so he had to wipe them down

How many 8 year olds know how to change oil in a snowblower or lawnmower?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

**RippyD** · 11-10-2017, 11:44 PM

That is awesome. Great work with those kids.

**Klasse Act** · 11-11-2017, 06:08 AM

Originally Posted by ryanbabz71

Around here I notice quite a few younger people at cars and coffee events

Don’t worry I am raising mine right. He needs to stop watching YouTube though seems GTRs are popular with the video bloggers

We got there and the rims were dusty so he had to wipe them down

How many 8 year olds know how to change oil in a snowblower or lawnmower?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Do you live in Illinois? I'm in Elk Grove Village. Great pic of the kids at the show btw