Come on Auto Enthusiasts — Get Out of Your Comfort Zone!
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Every time I attend a car show, an auction, or see posts on social media, I see the same thing over and over: Joe and Sally talking about their favorite car, car model, or decade, or year. Joe and Sally never move out of their comfort zone. In fact, they’re so busy talking about their favorite ride, you can’t get a word in edgewise.
When I query these people about even the same brand or make, but a different year or era, I get a dumbfounded look. And God forbid I mention another brand or make that was just as exciting as what they were just talking about, I watch their eyes cloud over and their brains short out.
Look, you can love a certain brand, model or year — even I have those in my toy box, but I’m also smart enough to recognize that my favorites are just that —my favorites. I am constantly investigating or just learning about or revisiting tons of other brands and models. I can’t tell you how rewarding it is to discover cars and models that tickle my interest and open my eyes.
The Chrysler 300 Letter Series cars are an example. When I say “Chrysler 300” to even car nuts focused on the 60s, 70s and 80s, I get a “That 2000s car? Too new for me.”. There are others who say, “That 50s stuff is just not exciting”. Exciting? Heck, in the 50s there were plenty of exciting cars, some of which would do well versus more modern stuff were they to have our newer tires alone. You might want to read this road test done on a ’58 Chrysler 300D done in 1970 — in the height of the Muscle Car era. Find it HERE.
And if you are a performance nut, not taking a close look at the 30s, 40s and 50s, is just turning your mind into mud. Do you know why the 1936–1942 Buick Century was called “Century”? Nope, it was not because it was made in the 20th Century, but because it was said to be able to cruise at 100 MPH! In the 30s, only a few very high-end cars like the Duesenberg could otherwise claim that. In fact, Buicks in 1940 and ’41 boasted multiple carburetion as well.
Now I’m not expecting you to delve into every make and model — nor to become an expert — but I’m asking you to open your mind, search out excitement in other brands and models, learn more, and perhaps you’ll even find another car or brand that has eluded you and which you will come to love.
Get out of that rut you’re in. Don’t call yourself and “enthusiast” unless you are enthusiastic about more than just your favorite car. And if you are only hot about a decade or series of years, you’re missing a whole catalog of interesting cars! Go to places like the Auto History Preservation Society, museums, and even car magazines that deal with cars you never heard about. Try it, you just might be surprised . . .
