Petrolheads - a dying breed?
Discussion
I've noticed over the past few years that there seems to be fewer and fewer people I speak to that are interested in cars. Whether it be colleagues at work, customers, friends, people I speak to when out socialising etc. I have found that when asked what my hobbies are and I say cars and bikes the most common response is "oh I'm not that into cars really".
It already seems socially unacceptable to enjoy driving at any sort of speed, to own a car with a decent petrol engine and you're deemed as sad if you're out polishing your car on a Sunday afternoon.
I've been into cars ever since I can remember and growing up about 90% of my friends were too. However now most people I know seem to be driving middle of the road diesels and base their vehicle of choice on MPG rather than BHP.
Maybe it's my age (29) and seeing friends settle down and put their car further down the priority list replaced with houses and babies, but it just seems that fewer people care about what they drive these days nor enjoy driving. The quality of roads is awful, fuel costs are high and the countries littered with speed cameras and keen police officers but is this enough to deter people?
It already seems socially unacceptable to enjoy driving at any sort of speed, to own a car with a decent petrol engine and you're deemed as sad if you're out polishing your car on a Sunday afternoon.
I've been into cars ever since I can remember and growing up about 90% of my friends were too. However now most people I know seem to be driving middle of the road diesels and base their vehicle of choice on MPG rather than BHP.
Maybe it's my age (29) and seeing friends settle down and put their car further down the priority list replaced with houses and babies, but it just seems that fewer people care about what they drive these days nor enjoy driving. The quality of roads is awful, fuel costs are high and the countries littered with speed cameras and keen police officers but is this enough to deter people?
Definitely a rare breed. I know a few people who claim to be interested in cars, but in truth their interest does not extend beyond "I like cars, car are good, I like cars that go fast". Proper petrolheads who understand not just the engineering and mechanics of the cars, but the pleasure of driving them (even in the most mundane of circumstances) are like spotting a unicorn. In fact, the only one I've ever met in person is my brother!
Must admit, I'm starting to lose my enthusiasm a bit, but I think its because I am struggling to afford it at the moment... but I still can't bring myself to give up yet, even though it would probably be a "sensible" thing to do, at least for the next couple of years.
I've got a feeling I might have to find myself a cheap to run but fun "shed" before much longer, but that doesn't mean I don't care about it.
As for babies and houses being a priority, that couldn't be further from the truth for me... mine is simply unwise decisions in the past coming back to bite me now.
I've got a feeling I might have to find myself a cheap to run but fun "shed" before much longer, but that doesn't mean I don't care about it.
As for babies and houses being a priority, that couldn't be further from the truth for me... mine is simply unwise decisions in the past coming back to bite me now.
I think there are a number of reasons, cost is now a huge problem to anyone, bad enough for most to have one car never mind two. Slowly many people have been educated to not covet cars, to hate those who speed and to put the blame for enviromental problems on the car owner.
There are still plenty out there who want nice cars but we are declining.
There are still plenty out there who want nice cars but we are declining.
Todays run of the mill cars require little involvement from their owner;
they rarely need attention from their owner to keep going,
they rarely have any foibles, eg they dont require a technique to get them going on a cold day
they often look and feel and sound the same - bland reliable comfortable boxes.
Hence the relationship between the driver and the car has become more remote, less involvement = less people become interested in cars from tinkering,fixing,modifying them - people just use them these days , like white goods.
OK a small % of people are genuinely interested in their car(s) but for the rest there is no connection and no need to even think about it as even older cars are so capable these days.
they rarely need attention from their owner to keep going,
they rarely have any foibles, eg they dont require a technique to get them going on a cold day
they often look and feel and sound the same - bland reliable comfortable boxes.
Hence the relationship between the driver and the car has become more remote, less involvement = less people become interested in cars from tinkering,fixing,modifying them - people just use them these days , like white goods.
OK a small % of people are genuinely interested in their car(s) but for the rest there is no connection and no need to even think about it as even older cars are so capable these days.
Alarmingly high rate of decline, to the extent we will be a true minority soon enough. Might be an age thing as well, anyone over 30 will remember how important the car chase was to tv at the time. A team, knight rider, dukes of Hazzard, cannonball run, mad max, smokey and the bandit. saturday night tv was basically american cars going sideways and jumping rivers, it was encoded into our upbringing.
Remember also there was nothing else really. No Internet, no mobiles, no cable tv, no x-boxes, plus no guilt factor mgw to brainwash kids with. Its something that I have thought about recently, i wonder if to teenagers now used to iphones etc ,old cars must seem very low tech and almost boring to them.
Remember also there was nothing else really. No Internet, no mobiles, no cable tv, no x-boxes, plus no guilt factor mgw to brainwash kids with. Its something that I have thought about recently, i wonder if to teenagers now used to iphones etc ,old cars must seem very low tech and almost boring to them.
I think you're right. Even some people I used to class as "car nuts", have started to get completely disillusioned by the whole motoring experience in this country. Scumbag personal injury fakers, have bumped insurance premiums up to scarcely believable levels, fuel price hikes have put the s
ts up people, and allied to the piss poor state of our roads and the "speed kills everything everywhere dead, especially polar bears and children" message, which is constantly force fed incessantly to us, it's no big surprise really. I even glanced at a KIA soul at the weekend, by accident. It's a st state of affairs that can only get worse.
ts up people, and allied to the piss poor state of our roads and the "speed kills everything everywhere dead, especially polar bears and children" message, which is constantly force fed incessantly to us, it's no big surprise really. I even glanced at a KIA soul at the weekend, by accident. It's a st state of affairs that can only get worse. I kind of agree. Im loving taking the engine to pieces on the vectra thats in pieces inside my garage.
However i hate driving the Mondeo at times. The relentless war on fuel prices is just making me hate driving anywhere. I dont drive for enjoyment, i drive at the most 'economical' speeds and times and only when required.
I get hit super hard on my 30 litres of fuel by our friends at downing street because well all know how much damage the petrol engine does... however this is pretty much accepted
However i hate driving the Mondeo at times. The relentless war on fuel prices is just making me hate driving anywhere. I dont drive for enjoyment, i drive at the most 'economical' speeds and times and only when required.
I get hit super hard on my 30 litres of fuel by our friends at downing street because well all know how much damage the petrol engine does... however this is pretty much accepted
No more Max Power,says it all really,before you laugh think how many people that start off with a bit of chavvy modding then grow up move on to something nicer then start thinking about trackdays etc.
I will confess to buying the odd issue,but have enjoyed a few years in hillclimbs and sprints in the past.
I will confess to buying the odd issue,but have enjoyed a few years in hillclimbs and sprints in the past.
I'm in my mid 20's and only one of my friends is a petrolhead - though he sadly can't afford to run a powerful car.
My other friends either don't drive yet or are not interested in cars beyond run of the mill daily drivers.
I have a few older family memebers and friends who are petrolheads, but they're from that previous generation that has been spoken of.
The decline of petrolheads/car enthusiasts can be seen in other aspects of life. For instance TV viewing figures declining, because of other pursuits and distractions ie, mobiles, internet, playstations etc.
My other friends either don't drive yet or are not interested in cars beyond run of the mill daily drivers.
I have a few older family memebers and friends who are petrolheads, but they're from that previous generation that has been spoken of.
The decline of petrolheads/car enthusiasts can be seen in other aspects of life. For instance TV viewing figures declining, because of other pursuits and distractions ie, mobiles, internet, playstations etc.
I work in the motor trade, for a franchise dealer group of four brands. Within four showrooms, theres only two of us that own our own cars, the other guy has a Lexus IS220d, and the only comments he makes is about mpg.. All the other guys are quite happy with their company cars, and have no interest or desire in anything else. I even get the p*ss taken out of me when I occaisionally take my 1988 325i into work. It is sad when seemingly such a small number of people are 'into cars' like they used to be. Fortunately, I have mates with much more fun stuff 
6potdave said:
Maybe it's my age (29) and seeing friends settle down and put their car further down the priority list replaced with houses and babies, but it just seems that fewer people care about what they drive these days nor enjoy driving.
The biggest problem is that my wife also assumes I should be like all of her friends hubbies who need to grow some, so when I recently announced my intention to purchase a third fun car for the weekend it went down like a bleeding lead balloon! I have noticed this too, some people at work who used to be petrolheads have ceased to be (maybe it was an age thing for them too or maybe they weren't really petrolheads) so. The petrol head is seemingly an ever diminishing breed. Most buy their cars for a do what it says on the tin job these days.
Sadly in a world of ever increasing morons and legislation it will get worse as people on the fence about buying something interesting will fall into the "might as well as get ***insert mundane hatch/saloon here*** instead.
People look shocked when I say I spend £50 - £60 per week on petrol rather than buy some boring dull as ditchwater diesel and spend that per month (though they pi$$ ten pints worth of beer away every week), me hardly drink, don’t smoke...I’ll have a Mustang thanks.
You always get the why do you need that car, you can’t use it because the speed limit is....(yawn) maybe but sometimes you get a gap in traffic and that back road that you take to work is free of dawdling goits and you can enjoy it.
I couldn’t give up being a petrolhead it is far too much fun and far too interesting, plus you get to meet plenty of interesting people.
The more I think about it the more I have made the right decision spending my money on a Mustang rather than saving for a deposit for a house and getting on the property ladder, a sort of enjoy it now it might not be there in 20 years sort of thing.
Sadly in a world of ever increasing morons and legislation it will get worse as people on the fence about buying something interesting will fall into the "might as well as get ***insert mundane hatch/saloon here*** instead.
People look shocked when I say I spend £50 - £60 per week on petrol rather than buy some boring dull as ditchwater diesel and spend that per month (though they pi$$ ten pints worth of beer away every week), me hardly drink, don’t smoke...I’ll have a Mustang thanks.
You always get the why do you need that car, you can’t use it because the speed limit is....(yawn) maybe but sometimes you get a gap in traffic and that back road that you take to work is free of dawdling goits and you can enjoy it.
I couldn’t give up being a petrolhead it is far too much fun and far too interesting, plus you get to meet plenty of interesting people.
The more I think about it the more I have made the right decision spending my money on a Mustang rather than saving for a deposit for a house and getting on the property ladder, a sort of enjoy it now it might not be there in 20 years sort of thing.
It's hard to keep the faith without any proper stimulus. You can't really do a sunday morning thrash in a small diesel Toyota.
Due to growing up and settling down I'm without any fun stuff. All I get now is a few magazines every month and some time on GT5.
The best I can hope for is to sneak is kit car into the garage at some point, probably when the wife is busy looking at curtains...
Due to growing up and settling down I'm without any fun stuff. All I get now is a few magazines every month and some time on GT5.
The best I can hope for is to sneak is kit car into the garage at some point, probably when the wife is busy looking at curtains...
I too find that when cars are discussed at work, that the main topic of conversation is always "I get x mpg out of my diesel, what do you get Steve?" knowing full well I get around 23 mpg in my M3, quickly followed by "When are you going to see the light and get a diesel Steve?"
They are generally joking, but the fact remains that most are driving diesels, and lets face it, diesels are not petrolhead enthusiast engines, so by definition, they only have a car as a means to get from A to B.
They enjoy playfully winding me up because of my loathing of diesel engines. I find it terrible that those awful engines are the best sellers now, based upon some misguided eco-statistics. And don't get me started on the current supercar trend to fit turbochargers! I hate turbochargers almost as much as I hate diesels
I find, as has been mentioned above, that 20-somethings seem less inclined to be interested in cars as a rule, but then the media has done their best to demonise cars as fuel-guzzling speeding, killing machines, so some of it is bound to rub off.
I do have some hope that petrolheads are not a dying breed, as checking on this forum, the main General Gassing room has over 3 million posts. thats a lot of posts by a lot of people.
Cheers,
Steve
They are generally joking, but the fact remains that most are driving diesels, and lets face it, diesels are not petrolhead enthusiast engines, so by definition, they only have a car as a means to get from A to B.
They enjoy playfully winding me up because of my loathing of diesel engines. I find it terrible that those awful engines are the best sellers now, based upon some misguided eco-statistics. And don't get me started on the current supercar trend to fit turbochargers! I hate turbochargers almost as much as I hate diesels
I find, as has been mentioned above, that 20-somethings seem less inclined to be interested in cars as a rule, but then the media has done their best to demonise cars as fuel-guzzling speeding, killing machines, so some of it is bound to rub off.
I do have some hope that petrolheads are not a dying breed, as checking on this forum, the main General Gassing room has over 3 million posts. thats a lot of posts by a lot of people.
Cheers,
Steve
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