Cars Are For The People

"JR1" (type35bugatti) 02/20/2014 at 10:35 • Filed to: Rant, $Kaybait, Oppositelock, Duesenberg, Corvette Stingray, Ford GT

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Unfortunately this post is all hypothetical. If I was rich though I would share my passion for cars. When someone becomes lucky enough to gain millions of dollars and the cars of their dreams, they tend to build huge beautiful garages for them. Garages full of mythical cars that most of us enthusiast will never see let alone touch or even get to drive. That makes me a little sad. I have always thought that the experience of driving a fast expensive car shouldn't be reserved for the one percent. A large majority of that one percent aren't even enthusiast they simply buy for the sake of a status symbol.

To the left is a good example. The Hollywood elite. Kayne West and Kim Kardashian in a Lamborghini Gallardo. Do they know that Ferriuccio Lamborghini originally built tractors? Do they know Lamborghini was started over an argument between Old man Ferrari and Mr. Lamborghini? Probably not, and that makes me a little upset. The people who buy the fast expensive cars do not really understand or appreciate the heritage they are so endowed to driving. They will never understand the excitement so many of us feel to see unique, rare, and fun car.

Kayne West, Justin Bieber, etc. would never share their cars with the public. They would never take a one of a kind Bugatti to a car show to inspire the love in a young child for cars. Even some of the biggest collectors hid their cars away in their garages. The ones that actually are brave enough to take the cars out do not drive them. They simply display them at Pebble Beach hidden away from a mass majority of the public.

Why do they do this? Why can't someone bring a Duesenberg to my local car show? The car collecting world would have more enthusiasts if the automotive equivalent of a Picasso was seen by the mass public. Unfortunately that will never be. Some cars will be forever hidden away form the public by the elite. These elite, the extraordinary car caretakers, have a responsibility to promote the automotive love affair. As does companies like Ferrari and Lamborghini. Two companies I did not even see at the Detroit Auto Show. Their spectacular cars were hidden away from millions hoping, dreaming to see a Ferrari. We are not worthy, not worthy to sit in the cars, or even touch them. Like high security gold they are roped off from the public. To touch is forbidden, to sit in is grounds for arrest. It is disheartening, why not let peoples dreams come true? Let them sit in the Ferrari and Lamborghini. If the companies lucky enough them might inspire a small child with the lust to one day buy a Ferrari all because he/she got to sit in one when they were five.

Perhaps one day someone will be generous enough to let a small boy or girl drive around with them in a Ford GT, better yet give someone the opportunity to fulfill their dream and drive the car. The car world needs more people like that. They need more people like Jay Leno who does webisodes for the public to at least see his garage. There is a wall between most enthusiasts and the endowed who are lucky enough to own automotive masterpieces. We must tear down this wall! After all cars are for the people.

Thats me with a stupid grin on my face sitting in a new Stingray and revving the engine. I may never sit in one again, but in those precious moments the Stingray felt like it was mine. Shouldn't everyone get an experience like that at least once?

505Turbeaux > JR1 02/20/2014 at 10:38

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this man totally agrees, now if there were only many more like him

Party-vi > JR1 02/20/2014 at 10:39

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I recommended the Duesy pic and now it's showing up on the main page.

I'm not sorry about it, just wanted to share :D

JR1 > Party-vi 02/20/2014 at 10:40

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Thank you! Anything to get attention is always welcomed!

JR1 > 505Turbeaux 02/20/2014 at 10:41

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Maybe one of us will be lucky enough to get rich and it can happen!

505Turbeaux > JR1 02/20/2014 at 10:42

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I know a few rich rich guys who are pretty awesome like that, just they are the exception to the rule you laid down.

JR1 > 505Turbeaux 02/20/2014 at 10:47

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They are out there just few and far between

crowmolly > JR1 02/20/2014 at 10:50

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Many regular car folk won't appreciate hard core classics.

You'll get a crowd of people around a fake '70 Chevelle SS but the 30's or 40's car with panels lovingly recreated by hand from a flat sheet of steel will sit there with a single guy in a lawn chair.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > JR1 02/20/2014 at 10:55

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Good point.
When i was a kid, i grown up with a mercedes so until this day i'm a huge fans of mercedes.

Then my father take me to a local car show and they merc guys allows me to sit inside their brand new SL back in the mid 90's, while Lambo (which is owned by the son of Indonesian President), they don't even let me touch the car, bright green Diablo.
And maybe that's why i hate the Diablo to this day..

Jagvar > JR1 02/20/2014 at 10:56

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I like Rob Dahm's style. The guy loves his Diablo, knows everything about it, and holds a deep appreciation for it. For him, that car is the realization of a dream.

As a younger, well-off guy with a Lambo, he's someone who you'd expect to be a total douchebag, and he just isn't.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > JR1 02/20/2014 at 10:56

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The dealer I work for was started by a couple of business partners. one of them has quite the collection; including a gorgeous 1930's Bugatti racecar that he drives around town.

I've seen it a couple times. Once even doing something as mundane as getting gas at Sunoco.

JR1 > crowmolly 02/20/2014 at 10:58

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I just used the Duesenberg as an example. It could be any car, a Veyron, a Ferrari GTO, or even a brand new Lamborghini.

JR1 > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 02/20/2014 at 11:02

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Probably, when people alienate you from cars or anything for that matter it's human nature to dislike it.

JR1 > Jagvar 02/20/2014 at 11:03

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I like him too, and he genuinely wants to share his experience.

JR1 > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 02/20/2014 at 11:03

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Does it bring more business to the dealership?

crowmolly > JR1 02/20/2014 at 11:05

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Oh. In my area there are usually a few high buck cars at a lot of the bigger cruise nights. One guy trailers in a '57 356A speedster.

Babz > JR1 02/20/2014 at 11:07

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"A large majority of that one percent aren't even enthusiast they simply buy for the sake of a status symbol."

"The people who buy the fast expensive cars do not really understand or appreciate the heritage they are so endowed to driving."

I understand your frustration, but if we only let people who knows their shit driving cars, you can be sure that 99%+ of the driving population would find themselves on foot.

Take this problem from another perspective, if there were no Kanyes and Biebers to buy those expensive cars, none of them would exist. At the end of the day, no matter how much passion a car maker has, the bottom line has to be black in order for them to continue making cars.

Stupid people are buying cars ? Bless them, if one day you are able to buy one, it's in part because they kept spending their money, keeping car companies alive.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > JR1 02/20/2014 at 11:08

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yeah.
I mean, i love all the big V12 Lambos, but not Diablo. It's a bit too boring, to pedestrian to be a lambo.

Plus i rarely seen them on the streets, even in Dubai. I guess they didn't sell many of those.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > JR1 02/20/2014 at 11:10

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Doubtful.

He doesn't keep it here. It's just one of his collection that I've seen him drive on occasion. And I only saw it because I happened to be at the right place at the right time.

I know he has taken it to car shows around here.

Dusty Ventures > JR1 02/20/2014 at 11:12

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Gee, I wonder why they feel the need to protect their cars from the public

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JR1 > Babz 02/20/2014 at 11:15

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I guess I should have stated that I have no problem with them buying the cars, they create the market for all the wonderful cars we see today like the Veyron and the P1. But the opportunity should be available, perhaps from the factories for common people to see and sit in the cars before the rich Kaynes and Biebers get their hands on their new status symbol.

JR1 > Dusty Ventures 02/20/2014 at 11:17

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Easy fix unscrew the knob. Or bring an automatic to the show. Press cars have hard lives bring one of those, or even a crash test car before it has to be tested.

Casper > JR1 02/20/2014 at 11:23

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The problem is most people are shit. They are giant turds walking and talking like people, but actually turds. They don't respect people's property, they are destructive, and they are stupid. These turds and turdlings cause problems and damage so that people can't trust letting anyone else near their cars/toys.

The solution is simple, we need to raise the quality of the average person so that you don't have to be afraid of taking your rare/nice vehicle out in public.

Brian Silvestro > Jagvar 02/20/2014 at 11:26

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Did he ever fix it?

Jagvar > Brian Silvestro 02/20/2014 at 11:30

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He's still fixing it, but it's coming along. Most of the bodywork is done.

Dusty Ventures > JR1 02/20/2014 at 11:31

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Ok, press cars work as a solution to getting new high end cars to auto shows, except there aren't enough press cars to hit every show, some will still have to be Ferrari-less. And it doesn't get the fancy classics like Dusenbergs, Countachs, and Ford GTs to area shows.

Also it's not just theft of things like shift knobs that's the problem. You wouldn't believe the percentage of show cars that after a weekend have torn or damaged upholstery, broken buttons and switches, damaged glove boxes and hatches, and scratched or damaged paint. They often leave with hundreds of dollars in damage. Hell, I brought the rally car to a local show, let maybe twenty people sit in it (if that), and at the end of the day the driver inside door pull was gone.

My overall point is if we want the people who have these wonderful cars to show them and share them with us we need to improve ourselves and our brethren. Get our fellow automotive fans to show we deserve the cars by treating them with the care and respect we deserve and then maybe more owners will be willing to share.

Brian Silvestro > Jagvar 02/20/2014 at 11:36

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Ok good, I hadn't heard about it for awhile.

(I'm one of those douches that only watches the videos with the Lambo)

crowmolly > JR1 02/20/2014 at 11:36

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Another reason is because shit like this can happen:

Jayhawk Jake > Dusty Ventures 02/20/2014 at 12:01

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There's an easy fix for that.

If you take your car to a car show, put a sign saying 'ask me to sit inside' or 'ask for a ride'. Then you can allow people to experience it, but they have to be supervised. Sit in the passenger seat while people take turns getting in the drivers seat, drive kids around the block, etc.

Dusty Ventures > Jayhawk Jake 02/20/2014 at 12:04

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Only works at a small show where there's enough of you to monitor things. Go to a show where there's a big crowd (or bring a unique enough vehicle that it draws a big crowd) and you're back at square one, no matter how many signs you put up. The sort of people who would take a gear knob as a souvenir aren't the sort who will obey signs about asking for permission to do things.

Jayhawk Jake > Dusty Ventures 02/20/2014 at 12:12

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True, although around me there's no such thing as a big crowd. The closest thing we have to Cars and Coffee is a very small weekly gathering, you wouldn't have too much trouble doing what I propose.

avens > JR1 02/20/2014 at 12:28

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Your post exposes a different type of elitism, not of budget but of the so called 'being a car guy'.

At the same time exotic cars are exotic for a reason and they wouldn't be if they were regular cars both in money worth (and spent on making them) and in encountering them everyday.

If you find that disheartening then what you should do is either get into the car business, which is the reason why there's people that are marshalls for almost free (mechanic and tech guy are good alternatives), or start putting some effort into acquiring them, because in the end money is the equivalent of effort put into profiting and of how successful you and your family were on it. The so called "lucky people" argument is just crap.

Might as well add that in these times people criticize everyone for everything. If Kanye or anyone else is seen on an exotic then people will call him a show off and that he doesn't deserve to be in his position for whatever reason, and if he doesn't people will say he forgot about the rest.

JR1 > avens 02/20/2014 at 12:37

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I don't think it would take away the exotic nature of the cars. And I do plan to earn money and make a leaving with cars, but I am in college so it'll be a little while before that happens. They are indeed lucky, but they also worked hard and went out there and earned the cars. I am not jealous in any way for their success or collection of cars they deserve it, even if they don't appreciate the cars like some people on this website might.

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > JR1 02/20/2014 at 12:38

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Exotic car manufacturers have bent over to cater to the rich rather than the enthusiastic. Not that long ago, driving a Ferrari or Lamborghini took balls and the ability to drive stick. It was a process to start one of these things. It was an animal that the owner had to tame. Now, for example you hop in your Gallardo, push the start button, and convince yourself you are shifting with the flappy paddles. The other factor, that makes cars this way, is automakers pushing to be the fastest rather than the most enjoyable. Stop making cars that are a few seconds faster around the 'ring and let the real drivers enjoy the cars.

JR1 > Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 02/20/2014 at 12:40

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Couldn't agree more, there becomes a point were the cars are too fast for there intended purpose, to be enjoyed on a road.

BarryDanger > 505Turbeaux 02/20/2014 at 13:31

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Morbid thought of the day: I wonder what's going to happen to his collection when he passes. I'd love to get my hands on that SHOgun!

505Turbeaux > BarryDanger 02/20/2014 at 13:33

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ha no doubt. Hopefully he has a trust set up to maintain it as some sort of a hands on or working museum

Korea Miéville > JR1 02/20/2014 at 13:55

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I was thinking along these lines last night when I was reading about the dudes who just sold WhatsApp to Facebook for $19 billion. I guarantee you these guys will do nothing crazy cool with their billions. Probably just start another company and buy obscenely huge houses that they'll barely even notice are there. Billionaires like Richard Branson are the exception, not the rule with these people. Why? Because in general you don't make that kind of money in the first place unless making money is all you're really interested in. They collect expensive toys and artwork as status symbols and to flex their power and wealth, but they rarely appreciate these things the way a true enthusiast would, because the bulk of their passions are reserved for their business ventures.

That's why the rich people I admire are the ones who seem to genuinely appreciate the possibilities their wealth opens up for them, rather than just dully accumulating wealth for its own sake. I'm not a fan of Jay Leno's comedy, but here's a guy who has a genuine passion and love for cars, and is fortunate enough to have the means to pursue that passion to the hilt. More power to him. He's not just stockpiling expensive cars for the sake of hoarding. Someone like that, I feel like he's using money for its intended purpose.

JR1 > Korea Miéville 02/20/2014 at 15:31

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Honestly that is all I ask, if one has the money to buy expensive desirable cars at least give a damn that you own it!

chromecarz00 > JR1 02/24/2014 at 19:18

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You realize that cars on auto show floors are production cars, and have already been through crash testing right?

And anytime the automaker removes parts like that, there are always people who complain and moan. It's not quite that simple