car culture slowing dying, how about rest of the world?

[look 171]

Car culture runs deep in this country especially in Socal but more young people in this country are interested in other things other then cars and cruise nights, hanging out etc... What about Germany, UK, Australia, Japan or other countries? Are the stats the same, going down? I understand the situation is a bit different over there, but their young men find no interest in cars?

[look 171]

Dangit, can't correct my spelling. Sorry

[RANDY P]

Originally Posted by look 171

Car culture runs deep in this country especially in Socal but more young people in this country are interested in other things other then cars and cruise nights, hanging out etc... What about Germany, UK, Australia, Japan or other countries? Are the stats the same, going down? I understand the situation is a bit different over there, but their young men find no interest in cars?

They all like 'tech' these days.

As far as I'm concerned, tech as a 'hobby' isn't legitimate. It's a poor substitute for life and you're otherwise useless. Do we really need more kids who know how to manipulate websites and games.

rjp

[pwd72s]

Possibly true...but there are exceptions. But..the next cruise-in, swap meet, concours, or whatever car event you attend, look around, check the ages. Not many in their teens or 20's there.

But hell, not many my age (75 tomorrow) there either...I haven't bothered to go to even a local cruise-in for 5-6 years. It just all seemed so repetitive after a while.

[Mark Henry]

I think it's the same everywhere, city kids public transit and mom's taxi they want the phone, rural kids it's still the car.
We are rural, my kid got data blocked, etc., so he would have more gas money.

My 17 year old just bought a nice 1982 Audi Coupe (his own money) and I split with him on a POS PU truck winter beater. He also has a nice 914 project car.

[The Synergizer]

he problem with the tech culture is it's totally dependent on a frail infrastructure. Ever had your internet go down for a day recently... People have meltdowns. It's such a non productive outlet. Cars are tangible, real. Something to get your hands on.

[ckelly78z]

My 19 year old son is car crazy, like a chip off the old block, but isn't interested in boring car shows, or even organized racing. I think when can get our shop built, we can work on things together, and hopefully build some cool stuff.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Geez, I just need to copy/paste the same response every time one of these threads crops up....

You guys are going to the wrong car shows and looking for the wrong cars. If they are playing do-wop music and there are rows of Mustangs and Camaros, it's the wrong show. Our local Cars & Coffee has grown exponentially over the last few years and is at least 50% people under 30, probably more. Are they driving a 1957 Chevy or an SS396 Chevelle? Hell no, they're driving modified WRXs and slammed Civics. Which is an interesting contrast to the Lamborghinis, Porsches, and Ferraris that also show up. Regardless I can assure you, they are just as into cars. Have an open mind, car culture isn't dead, it's just evolving.

[widebody911]

[i] If they are playing do-wop music and there are rows of Mustangs and Camaros, it's the wrong show.[/]i]

This. += MOPAR

[look 171]

Down here, there are still a bunch of young 20-30 somethings at our shows, mainly imports and that's just fine by me but not like what it was when I was a kid in my 20s. We had a pretty good turn out when we attended the all Japanese classic show. Full of people of all ages. I do know that number for young folks is going down. My question is are these numbers also going down in other developed countries?

[chapo]

81k spectators at Rennsport, good mix of ages.

[chapo]

Also, look at off road, rally, and drifting. Lots of talented young fabricators there and lots of popularity . I haven’t been to a static car show in years no matter if it’s hot rods or single make

[ckelly78z]

Cars and coffee events are about 60 miles away for me, so an all day commitment. The ONLY car shows locally are 95% big three 50s/60s/70s muscle cars. When I was in a Datsun group, they had all their events in Columbus Ohio (2 hour drive), and the Porsche group is usually on the North side of Toledo (1+ hour away).

This is mostly a pickup truck/Sedan area, with very few cool exotics, or very many foriegn cars other than the fricking Kias, and Hyundai throw away appliances.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by chapo

81k spectators at Rennsport, good mix of ages.

I was there. Over crowded that was for sure

[Bill Douglas]

In New Zealand, it's kind of interesting. Young guys like finding a retro sort of car and driving it with pride.

I see guys out cruising in early 1970s Datsuns and old Mitsubishis. And they must know what they are doing to keep an old car like that on the road.

Sometimes I even see high school kids checking out the 911 and having their photo taken standing next to it - bless them

[GothingNC]

Car Culture in my area is booming.

Every Saturday there is a local Cars & Coffee in the NC Triangle area and now we are seeing cars and Coffee events being hosted on Sunday mornings too.

Mixture of old and young- youngsters are checking out the classic muscle cars and the older folks are checking out the tricked out Japanese and European cars.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

yesterday, at an autozone or something, there were some young kids with a hoodless honda crx which had been turbocharged at some point. Without the hood, and the front bumper fascia, all the turbo goodies were in purposeful plain view.

I wished I had my camera, I was going to take pics for here, but I just sat there and checked out all the plumbing. He some wastegate valve or something going right off the exhaust manifold and pointing straight up in front of the driver's window. It had a ridiculously oversized turbo, intercooler and a lot of custom backyard fabrication.

He drove off into the distance right about when I came back out, and the turbo spooled like a cummins diesel, and I was chuckling at the thought of lag, torque steer, compression ratios, blown head gaskets, etc... but overall, was impressed and happy for them and their project car. It had nice wheels, and none of that fast and furious fiberglass body crap so many ricers have. All his time went into engineering the engine. It was a mid 80's crx too, one of my favorites of teenage years.

So yeah- they are out there!

[porsche tech]

Kids today seem to have a lot more disposable income (nice Audi Coupe GT, Mark). Dream car was a TR3 but when I was 16, my first car was a 58 VW with a cloth sun roof and no engine that I got for $75. Then I got a motor that didn't run from someone else for $25. Overhauled it by following a book I bought for 7.95 and then had a ride. That led (after a stint in the army) to a 42 year career as a Porsche mechanic at a Porsche dealership. So it sorta worked out in my favor.

[GothingNC]

Young college kid built up this RX7

[onewhippedpuppy]

My FD RX-7 went to an 18 year old. Incredibly mature kid, I would have never guessed his age based on our interaction. He already knew as much about the car as I did based on his research, and his plans to progress it were directly in line with what I would have done. He's since sent me multiple text messages as he has fixed and upgraded various things, all DIY.

Typically comments about car culture being dead are more like, "my car culture is dead" when it really comes down to it.