The Washington Post asks: Is America’s love of cars fading?
Is America’s love affair with the car over? That’s the question Washington Post senior editor Marc Fisher explores in his recent article, “Cruising Toward Oblivion.’’
Fisher points out that just last century, getting a driver’s license and car keys was the ultimate sign of liberation. It was the necessary ingredient to being freed from parental rule. But today, only half of millennials get their driver’s licenses by the time they reach 18.
Part of it is the economy, as Fisher details. Before the recession hit in 2008, the number of vehicles on the road increased each year. After the economic downturn, the numbers of vehicles on the road began to decline. Even with the economic recovery underway, many folks don’t want to be burdened with the financial hardship that owning and operating a car entails.
Story continues after gallery
These New England cars have put a lot of miles on their odometers
[bdc-gallery id=”1424473″]
But there’s also been an emotional shift among the younger generation, according to traditionalists like Mark Lizewskie of the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum, who tells the Post:
“Instead of Ford versus Chevy, it’s Apple versus Android, and instead of customizing their ride, they customize their phones with covers and apps,’’ he says. “You express yourself through your phone, whereas lately, cars have become more like appliances, with 100,000-mile warranties.’’
Even so, Fisher manages to find colorful characters, both young and old, who have an undying love of the automobile and the culture that surrounds it.
So has the fire gone out of America’s relationship with cars? Read the full story here.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com