Im emotionally unintelligent. I’ve been interested in cars and motorsports since a kid, started through hot wheels and car video games. I love my Z car, and I have an attachment to it that I can’t really understand. I have friends to share with he same interest who own corvettes, Toyotas, Mazdas, fords etc.. Their short answer for it usually being “cause they go VROOM VROOM”. I’d like to believe there is more that we value in a car.
I’ve read before that people create emotional attachments for cars through memories and experiences, through life threatening scenarios where it felt like the driving assistance of car helped prevent a tragic end, and possibly ego and the idea we identify our cars to ourself.
I keep my car clean, take pictures of it, maintenance it more often than I wish I had to, and drive it hard because I think I love it. I’m positive I love my car.
I’d like to know your own personal reasoning behind the attachment to a car or the love for motorsports, if you the reader are invested in such. Sorry if this is a dumb question I just want to understand the more in depth connection between man and car.
Comments
The only thing I give a shit about in a car is keeping it operational for as long as possible. That is it.
What I find fascinating about cars is – every single thing you see on a car came from the earth. Literally the metal, the plastic, the rubber, the lights, the paint, ALL of it. And through the hands of SO MANY artisans – it moves on it’s own, with style and comfort.
I also think cars are like a rolling moment of exactly what style/ culture was at a specific time, like history that’s always moving.
Who is “we”?
People love what they love. The things that give them joy are what give them joy.
I love cars and Motorsports. Some people love skate boarding, archery, firearms, skiing, snowboarding, trophy truck racing, chess, birdwatching, etc . You love what you love. Guys tend to like mechanical things over other things, but it’s not a guarantee.
For me, the technical side of cars, the sounds they make, and pushing them to the edge of their performance is one on the highlights of my life. For others, they want just want to get from point A to B. They want something like a Prius, good mileage, and a quiet car. To each their own.
Cars are a way to make us even more powerful, like commanding a Mech Warrior from the inside. We like feeling powerful; testosterone makes us so. For the same reason, young boys (and many men) like to play with guns. Males of all species evolved to fight- fight for food, for mates, for territory- and being (or at least feeling) powerful makes us win at that.
I hate just about anything to do with cars. I kind of them consider the men’s version of handbags. I live in a town that even has an annual car cruise, the whole damn day. I just can’t understand “wow, you’ve got an X liter Y cylinder engine in that? Mine is A liters and B cylinders!”…. It’s just not my thing and it makes my eyes roll into the back of my head as fast as when I hear someone talking about their new nails or shoes.
I, personally, don’t. I despise cars and hate I need one.
Because when fueled with liquid dynamite, they go from 0 to 341 Mph in less than 3.7 seconds.
Guys generally like and appreciate Tools and Systems – software programs, watches, gears, motorbikes, infrastructure, guns, aircraft. There’s an aspect of rigid creativity and purpose. You know how well you’ve designed or fixed something because it’s reliable and efficient. There’s no grey area in the success metric.
You’ve done well and you can leave it in the world to complete its purpose. And if it’s a coffee maker or helicopter, you can appreciate the results of other people interest and problem solving.
There’s also a community around these things, where it’s a vector for collaboration, and whichever you have an interest in, you’ll find you align at least on some level with like minded people which is also gratifying.
It’s the same reasons guys like sports or play music. Telling someone you want to hang out for human connection is weird. Starting a band or rebuilding an engine has a level of underlying interaction with it and shared purpose.
Cars are mechanically fascinating, while being not too complex, have a social prestige and status associated with them, so you can also attract a lady, and it also has this exciting element of having a lot of raw power and acceleration available to you, if you just press the pedal. Cars are also ubiquitous, so nerding out about them would not be something that people would think would be too niche.
Basically it occupies a really good sweet spot as an area of interest.
A lot of men loves machinery. It’s just part of us. It can be cars, planes, ships or trains.
Freedom. An automobile is much more than a conveyance.
It’s a metaphorical vehicle that breaks chains and makes boys into men by enabling mobility or fostering the development of self confidence through mastery of a machine that is quite capable of killing you.
It’s very American, but not uniquely.
Car culture means a lot of different things for a lot of different people but this is my take.
A car is like pregnant women
I don’t, but it’s a very masculine trait, in the strict sense of the word. Cars, trains, watches… I think sometimes people, men more often than not, obsess over properly working mechanisms (nothing necessarily wrong with this!). Personally though, I wouldn’t use the word ‘love’ for non-humans (maybe that’ll change the day we meet intelligent aliens, lol), let alone inanimate objects. You love your car as much if not more than you love your mom and siblings, for instance? Idk, that just activated my spidey senses.
I probably like cars because of my dad and older brother, both compete/competed in motorsports so naturally i did too, i was holding a wrench before i could speak. I was allowed to have any hobby i wanted but my dad only paid for anything related to engines. Got my first car at 14 which we raced between haybales on our field. At 15 i joined the junior class in the same motorsport my brother was in. I wasn’t much of a race car driver but at 16 my dad got me a old Volvo Duett project car as my first street car, that’s when i realized i loved classic car restorations. Old cars has such a charm to them and fun to work it.
I have a Alfa, Spider.
I am in love with her
I’ve never cared about cars. All I need is a thing that gets me from point A to point B. I don’t care about it past that basic utility. Technically I make enough money to buy a fancy sports car, but I’ve never even entertained the idea.
I actually prefer to drive around old vans like a fucking For Aerostar. When I’m not driving a van I drive a little scooter motorbike like a Scoopy.
Adrenaline. I grew up in a racing family and I’ve been racing since I was 11. Karts, quarter midgets and stock cars. I dont race anymore, but siz still love being around it
not dumb at all
cars are one of the few things left where men can feel without being clowned for it
it’s freedom
it’s control
it’s identity
and yeah—sometimes it’s just loud and fast and makes your brain go “yes”
but deeper than that
it’s the memories tied to it
the hours spent wrenching
the silence on a late night drive
the “i made it” feeling when you pull up in your car after years of eating dirt
cars aren’t just machines
they’re escape pods from a world that doesn’t listen
I love problem solving and creating, so restoring old cars are my jam. Spent my whole like wanting to do it, and now I have the time, money and space. I spend every day WFH while tinkering with old air cooled VW. They’re nothing special, but incredibly fun to work on. Working on them is like zen, therapy, just you, the problem, and working on the fix. Fixing them and driving is a cool experience.
driving stuff around is fun
Because God gave man vehicles
I’m a middle aged dude, former construction worker, worked in warehouses, done a lot of manual labor. I’m definitely a dude’s dude.
I fucking hate cars and driving.
As an artist the overall design is what lures me in, especially with European cars, like Lancia, Bertone, Citroen, Alpine, etc. Performance and handling are also a factor. Then there’s the satisfaction that I get from wrenching on my own vehicle.
40F
I think its because a car is often a guys entry into dating and attracting a partner. Let’s face it, it’s a lot easier to hang out with woman if you can offer to take them places, in a clean and comfy car. The prettiest girls at my high school never had to take the school bus.
Why do men love women who wear latex and leather? Because they smell like a new car!
personally dont give a hoot about cars. I think its a stereotype portayed by father day cards, that and sports.
I’m not a gear head. But I’m honestly in awe of mechanical engineering. Could I tell you exactly how everything works? No… but I have developed a fascination for the engineering marvels of engines that drive everything from modern drones all the way back to the massive triple expansion steam engines that powered nautical engineering marvels like ocean liners to the steam powered geared turbines in fast battleships. All bloody fascinating!
That said, I enjoy my 4Runner, but beyond that, I don’t really care much for modern vehicles. I hate car shopping with a passion too…
I dont. I like riding bikes. I dont know how to ride a bike.🥲