Hip Young Things

Car collecting has always seemed to be a huge phenomenon in America. People would collect classic cars and fix them up with rim and tire packages and a custom paint job, and then take them to car shows to bond with other collectors. It’s always seemed to be common whether it was going with family to the car shows or collecting the cars yourself.

Today, it seems that while car collecting is still a major hobby, many young people are not as interested as the previous generation. Fewer teenagers are interested in buying or owning a classic car and many do not know the first thing about how to maintain or fix one. Another major factor is that the majority of people today do not know how to drive a stick shift car, which is a must to own an older car.

The focus today seems to be on new cars and customizing cars. All of the advertisements feature and celebrities drive brand new cars or cars that were customized personally for them. The custom cars have custom wheels, a custom paint job, new interior and all kinds of gadgets inside. The youth of today is obsessed with new which puts a damper on the car collecting industry. Although classic cars can be updated to look new, they are a thing of the past when everyone wants the car of the future.

Another factor in the decline of the car collecting popularity has to do with money. Fixing up and maintaining a classic car is not a cheap endeavor. Many people spend thousands of dollars just to fix up a car that is not meant to be driven on a regular basis. While this is a fun hobby, with a declining economy it is not always the most practical for young people who are worried about finding and keeping a job.

Although there seems to be a decline in the car collecting business today, when the younger generation gets older and accumulates more money, there will be a rise in the popularity of classic cars.