The Demise of Our Hobby

[Eminence Gris]

This is one aspect of the car hobby. The other aspect, hinted at above, is that in modern cars, there is little HP "left on the table" with engine management systems. Tweaking more horsepower under a shade tree is a thing of the past. Stupendous performance boosts are available at stupendous prices from specialists. We estimate that grassroots "hot rodding" as we knew it is going to age and die along with the gray haired traditionalists.

[advtracing]

i have to agree that getting a licence and car is not as much of a priority anymore for the teens , i had my nephew and his partner over for dinner the other night , 21 years old , not interested in cars and doesn't have a licence . i had to pick them up from the bus station!!! . Quite different from me and the other 2 uncles . we had our first cars at 13 , licence at 15 ( yep i know ) built / raced / owned far to many cars / race boats . yet the next generation doesn't care less..

[letsrollbabe]

I don't think there will be a shortage of drivers in the future, as the automobile industry is still selling millions of cars (at least 15 million in the US this year). If you happened to go to a car show recently, you probably came away thinking that the choices of car builders and models is overwelming...still. There is not a more competitive industry in the world than autos. I think that right now the technology challenges in the auto industry make a career in auto engineering a very exciting prospect for young people. I had a freshman from my alma mater call for a contribution recently, and he is a 4.0 student desiring to get into auto engineering (like me, he is in mechical engineering). We talked for quite a while about what is happening in power train engineering around the world, and he was very astute about all aspects it seemed...and he is not driven by 'PC' attitudes.

The interest in fast cars will be around for many years, but how they go fast is changing....who could have imagined an electric 911 racer? I don't think any of us really have to worry about our beloved early 911s ever going begging for a home....there really are only a few hundred or maybe a few thousand out there anyway. Things always change, just enjoy the ride...and like Bob said....you actually get some where when you do.

[Macroni]

Cars are sensations ..... eventually (as we age) we look to experience sensations that are safe, legal and appropriate.... The cars might change but the feelings they generate are too viseral to be denied..... Fear not for our hobby it will not be denied!!!!!!

[Reza]

Not what a bunch of us heard from THAT raccoon

sensations that are safe, legal and appropriate...

[Macroni]

For me........besides the raccoon was dead before I hit it..... That is my story and I am sticking to it!

Tom,
Interesting choice......Buick's sales increased 50+% this year due to their building and marketing to a new demographic target, the younger Lexus set.

also

what is inappropriate for one man could be appropriate for another......

[CurtEgerer]

Statistics don't lie. When over one half of all 16 and 17 year olds don't have a drivers license, there has been a huge cultural shift. I have 1 daughter in H.S. (wasn't interested in a driver's license until she was 17, even with the prospect of being able to drive dad's cars!) and 1 in college. They both have lots of friends and from my own experience, it is rare to find someone their age with enthusiast-level interest in cars. They would rather spend their money on the latest laptop, iPhone, iPad, iPod or other communication device - that's how they socialize, not in cars the way we did. Sure, there are exceptions. I see lots of young kids at the rallies with their Subaru WRXs and Mitsu Evo's. But that's a very small % overall.

Tom - good tip on the Buicks. If we buy them all up now, the Gen X Chinese kids will provide a huge collector market for us in 10 years or so. Finally, a retirement strategy I can believe in!

[Mike Baum]

I am not sure if I buy into all of that. Would love to see the source data anyway. Also, I think that apples and oranges get mixed in here as well.

First, classic cars has always been a hobby for a very small fraction of the population. I am not sure if there is such a big link of the % of driver's licenses to the classic car hobby at all. And why would't young people gravitate to what brings them the most fun? Why not video games? Car related games are super hot, so why not? I doubt that the passion for hot, fast cars significantly diminished at all. God bless the young look for their way to express themselves. "It was so much better when we were young ..." bla bla of crumpy old men ...

Heck, I don't care about the modern, boring shit on the streets either. I am happy that more cars get scrapped than registered. Maybe that's more asign of the current economic climate than a sign of declining car passion? Who cares if I get my license with 16, 17 or later? I can get anywhere, anytime, anyway.

I am also not fully sure I buy the demographic arguement - again, would love to see the numbers and would love to compare to a generally aging population. Is the classic car audience aging faster? And if so, what drives it? Disinterest? Or the increasing costs of the hobby? An average age of 55 and three quarters older than 46 does not scare me too much: That's when you get to a little disposable income so it makes perfect sense to me ... Happy to help push this average down as well for a few remaining years

I am going to quite a lot of classic car events. If you have ever been in Monterey as the prime event in the country or at Irvine Cars and Coffee, it amazes me how many young guys and girls I see - Young as in around 35 and younger. They really like the old cars, come with what they can afford or represent the "Fast and Furious" crowd. Pretty cool. As there are so few really cool old cars around, I also would not be too concerned on the longevity of our hobby based on an aging demographic. The potential of legislative steps concerns me more.

My 2 cents.

Mike

[Jens]

Curt, Mike, I agree.

I started wrenching cars at 12, driving at 13, and got my license at 16 in my first Mini. Freedom!! 150 or so cars later I am still completely enamored with cars. These days 911s, and pretty much from here on in. That so many young folk today are not into it doesn't really matter to me. I just don't care. This here relatively small and particularly enthusiastic 911 group is plenty for me. Between the Early S registry, the R Gruppe, and other more local Porsche freaks, my Porsche world is pretty much fulfilled; great friends and like minds.

This small world we have is plenty big enough. Hell, even the PCA is way too vast to be really personal. The Parades I've attended all came down to a small circle of friends (bigger all the time, I guess) and an even smaller circle of interesting cars. The masses of later model cars just make me glaze over. Rennsport is different. That's real history!!

Let modern kids have their Twitter and Facebook and street view. Who cares.

[72targa]

we'll become like vinyl records, outdated, but timeless.

"Back to the future: Vinyl record sales double in '08"

http://www.computerworld.com/s/artic...in_08_CDs_down