Cynical

So with all the buzz in a recent thread on 68-72 chrome bumper Corvettes, I saw that a lot of you guys had an opinion on the younger generation. It wasn't my place in that thread to address it, so here I am. Just looking for a general discussion and a general consensus on what a lot of you think.

By younger generation I mean teenagers, not particularly late 20s-30s guys and girls that have little/no interest in Corvettes // classic cars.

So the question I'm asking is this:
What are your opinions and ideas on why today's teenager generation is not as interested in classic cars as you all wish they would be?

Also, in case anyone didn't know, I'm 17 and bought my 'Vette when I was 16 and have been working on it since May of 2014. So I can definitely answer questions if anyone has them!

Greatsteaks

That's great! My son is 25 and has grown up with my various corvettes ranging from my first junk 77, brand new 93 and 95, a nice 75 coupe, and our current 70 coupe(wifes) and my 71 vert. He has no interest in owning a corvette. He just dropped over 40k on a brand new Subaru STI, his dream car, I dont get it but maybe some dad didn't get his sons brand new corvette in 1969?

tjschraf

I think there are more younger people into them than we think. I know the average person your age could give a crap but there are still plenty of people interested. At the end of the day, you didn't grow up lusting over magazine articles on these (new) cars. I think most people into these classics either had one when they were younger or always wanted one.

For me, I am 25. Had my first c3 when I was 18 or 19. Personally, I do not love them. I have had a 1968, 1971, 1978 pace car, and an 81. I am a hard person to answer this because I absolutely love old bikes and cars. My favorite Classic corvettes are 1963-67 still well out of price range for most people. I have gained interest in these from my dad who recently sold both a 1963 SWC and a 1964 coupe. Both absolute wrecks when he purchased.

But at the end of the day, the car I grew up lusting over was a c5 z06. My neighbor brought one home in 2000 (before they were out) when he was working on it (GM engineer) and I was 10 and couldn't wait to take a ride. After that ride, I brought brochures into school with me. It was the car I always wanted. I DD an 01 z06 now and really don't want to see that come to an end.

In short, my favorite corvettes are:
01-04 z06
90-95 zr-1
63-67 coupes

Funny that the "worst" years for each of those are 01, 90, and 64. All of which my dad and I have owned. No prejudice here.

I should also note that I have had 2 06 GTO's (another car I have lusted over). And I know that most older people don't like them at all. When I was younger and didn't have an income I would talk my dad into his daily drivers. I Could Live vicariously through him and was able to benefit when I turned 16. He never withheld his keys from me on any car and over the years we have had a lot of fun.

My next target cars are from before I was born:
1955 or 57 chevy (more of a pro touring)
1987 Buick grand national
1950s restomod chevy truck

Kris Tunetso

I had a long-winded reply but it wasn't really going anywhere and probably didn't properly address your question anyway.

Here where I live we have a car show every month from April to October. I get to see lots and lots and lots of pretty cars. The age-divide is rather stark. The classic cars are almost all owned by people 50+. There are a few younger owners like me, but most are older. The younger crowd typically shows up in their modern cars, which tends to be the new Camaros, Mustangs... had a Viper show up at least once last year. The tuner kids don't seem to come to the shows at all.

I would say kids today have less interest in classic cars because that's not the culture they're exposed to. It's all tuners and retro-muscle these days. Eclipses and Civics, modern Camaros and Mustangs, that sort of thing, because that's what kids today are seeing. That's what's in the movies and video games, like "Fast and Furious" and "Need for Speed" respectively. I'm sure if they were growing up 40 years ago they'd be just as interested in cars of that era instead.

That is, assuming they have interest in cars at all. This generation is not car-centric like in days past. In the past getting your first car was a liberating experience and you used it as a form of expression and identity. You were known by what you drove. Ford vs Chevy was known to start fights. This generation is known by what phone they have (Android or Apple will start the fights) or what lunch they posted a picture of on Instagram. I even read a report citing a study that in larger metro areas they're seeing fewer and fewer younger people getting drivers licenses, and thus fewer buying cars, because they get around using public transit.


So yeah, that's my take on it.

GTOMike06

I'm 26 and I've wanted a 68-9 for as long as I can remember. My Dad had one when I was a kid and I was instantly hooked. My mom busted out the old Polaroid photo album of me playing in the car when I was 7 when she found out I bought one .

I like the older cars because I like to do the work myself. I bought a 06 gto and did quite a bit to it but I still couldn't do it by myself it was always having to go to the tuner or throwing codes or having to get some crazy specialty tool. I don't know but a few guys that have all the equipment let alone knowledge to do a really great tune on a car. Most kids don't know how to change oil let alone a cam or heads.

I can't agree more with the exposure I thought about trading this car plus cash for a c6 z06 but to anybody else that's just another car on the road. When I pull in any parking lot people wanna come look at this car, it's a head turner. I know if I got rid of it I'd just want another one because of the memories I have as a kid working on a car that I hope to pass on if I have kids. The more people see these cars on the road the more they will want them. Just since I've got this car I've had at least 3 guys looking at buying a c3 because they like mine so much.

gbvette62

This is not a new topic on the Forum, but I will give you my take on it anyway.

I'm 60, and have been playing with old cars since I was 15. Something I've learned over the years, is that the old car hobby (Corvette or otherwise), is mostly driven by nostalgia.

People who grew up in the 20's and 30's, became collectors of Model T's and A's. People from the 40's and 50's remembered 55-57 Chevys and 2 seat T-Birds. When they got older, and had the extra money to buy a "toy", that's a what they wanted.

I love old cars. I was born in 1954, I did a body off restoration of a 1914 Model T Ford in 1969, two years before I could even get a license in NJ. I have owned collector cars from the teens through the 80's, but still my favorite cars are probably those from the 60's. 56-67 Corvettes, 409's, Chevelle SS's, first gen Z/28's, these are all the cars I still love most.

It's what we grew up with, what we wanted as a kid, and what we remember, that usually drives the hobby!

rastafford3164

Kris, IMO, has hit everything on the head. I am 51 and was raised a Ford guy and remember the days of Ford/Chevy Mustang/Camaro fights. Got my license the day I turned 16. My son turns 19 on March 1. Never had his permit, never cared about a car, never wanted his license until after he was 18. Our daughter is 16. These kids ideas of "dating" are texting, video chatting, facetiming, or what the heck ever they call all that stuff. My sons idea of a "hotrod" is some high tech Fast&Furious ride with a bumblebee muffler that I always say sounds like a weedwhacker on steroids. He has never had the slightest interest in the Corvette or helping do anything with it. Dont think I had ever seen my wife as pissed as the day he said that if something happened to me and he got the car, he would immediately sell it to buy a (fill in w/ appropriate tuner/weed whacker car...i have no clue) dream car. Most of the time i dont even think we are from the same planet. I guess its what they are "connected" to. For my gen, it was the 80s.

briankeery

Due to all these very valid reasons above, I think this place is gonna look a lot different in the next ten years when some of the senior members have moved on. Just not as much interest from the next generation.....my nephew is 13 and has never even asked to go for a ride. I get more interest from young guys at the gas station when I'm driving my DD Civic Si than the vette.

Iceaxe

I saw a survey a while back where most high school kids would choose a smartphone over a car if given the choice of only one.... now that's just insane to me.

doorgunner

You are a rare individual. How you did not become hooked on "Plug n Play cars is beyond me from what I see of your generation. My 14 year old grandson can quote the specs. on any 4 cylinder/15,000 rpm-LOL/12" diameter tire'd vehicle on the planet---he has NO interest in anything older than 2009! I really think there is so much selection in cars today that teenagers look at older vehicles as nuisances.

Another thing.......My grand-daughter rode with me in my pre-electric-window truck. I asked her to put her window down----she asked where the switch was----I told her to crank the little chrome handle with the round **** until the window went down---she said "EEEWWWWEEE...that's too much trouble!" Same thing with my grandson----"Where's the switch for the electric seats?"


Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

WAIT! I think I discovered why YOU like old cars.....My grandma always would refer to someone's drive/habit/addiction as...."They can't help it---it's in their blood!"

Corvette.............It's in your blood!

Bad Bird

You have to look at the popularity of YouTube TV shows like "Mighty Car Mods" to make you realise that bucketloads of young people are into cars. It is just that they are into the cars of their generation - the ones that they grew up with. You don't see them at big hot rod meets, but do any of you guys go to the big import shows?

I'm going to have to be entirely honest - the attitude of many classic car owners can turn off many of the young enthusiasts. The fact is, it goes both ways - we complain that the young are rude and don't care, and guess what? They say the same thing about those older than them. When a teenager asks about the car, don't be a snob or a smartass and talk to them. Nobody likes a know-it-all smartass.

As I said in the other thread, we need to get our cars out there instead of keeping them in the shed and pampering them. These are loud, in some cases even fast, and fun cars. When it stops being fun and becomes an "investment" game, why should we expect young people to care? If they have never seen a classic Corvette up close, why should they care? If they haven't seen the kind of smoke show that only big torque, big CI can create, why should they care?

bkvette3

My 12 year old son is a muscle car lover. No Honda Civics for him.

crowz

I have an answer to what happened to todays "kids" and before anyone thinks this is just someone that doesn't get what Im about to mention I own a webhosting company and have been in computers since the mid 70's.

The reason kids are the way they are now?

The internet.

While it pays my bills and allows me to enjoy a decent living it has to be the single worst thing that happened to planet earth lifestyle wise ever. I cant live without it either so Im just as bad off as anyone else but I'll be the first to call it out as what happened to the current generation coming up now.

I had the same problem with my kids. Zero interest in cars driving wise and ZERO interest in working on them. Anytime I asked either my kids to help me with something on a car or truck you would think I had asked them to dig a ditch a mile long.

Both are in their 20's now and my sons kia is sitting in my back yard waiting to get the head replaced where he spent 6 months lying to me about checking the oil and water and driving it till it died from neglect.

I don't get it personally since when I was growing up a male basically always knew at least how to check the oil, water etc and had no issues doing it either. I sure wouldn't of lied to my parents if they asked me if I had checked the fluids.

Kids are just as happy to sit in a room and text, chat, video whatever and never see the outside of a house unless it involves going somewhere with peers and having their "lifeline" with them (smart phone).

I actually believe if you locked them in a room without internet or phone access they would explode.

Kinda sad.

I honestly doubt there will be car shows in another 10 years to be honest and that's going to a real loss too. Well unless you count stereo competitions as car shows. Course I imagine most of you like myself associate your history with cars to some extent. I know my memories growing up involve what car I had or what was popular car wise or what I wanted dream car wise.

Only thing todays kids would do that with was what car was in a movie maybe or what car was in a video game having never seen the car in question in real life and probably don't even care if they ever do see it in real life

Sorry for the long babble just really struck me as sad the way things are car wise these days compared to the way they used to be. Guess my age is showing.

Iceaxe

Visit one of the import/tuner shows if you want to see where today's car guys are at and what they are into. It's us old guys that might need to consider expanding our horizons, changing our attitudes and learning something new. That doesn't mean you have to go buy a rice rocket, but what some of the kids are doing today with their cars is just as cool and impressive as what we did back in the day, it's just different and to me it's worth learning.... or we can just sit on our porch and yell "you kids stay off my grass". :-)

I personally have a passion for all cars, not just classic cars. My hot young stripper wife's daily driver is a tricked out 2012 Mitsubishi Evolution that has been lowered, tuned and modded. When you pull the Evo into a gas station it easily draws crowds as large as my 70 Corvette, it's just a different crowd.

Anyhoo.... the younger generation has its car guys, it's just they like different cars from what we like.

dtamustang

most of the young guys around here are in to mud trucks and 4 wheelers , some of them are serious gear heads building some very innovative trucks with monster horsepower. its not my cup of tea but I have to admire what they are doing.
there is also a "sissification" of our younger generation , its been going on for a while and is partially responsible for the lack of interest in cars , when I was 16 I spent Friday and Saturday nights with my buddies cruising around for hours.....how many parents of 16 year olds now let their kids loose for hours at a time without having a clue where they are , let alone with a ragged out car that may or may not get them home.i think the term is "helicopter parents " ....hovering over their kids 24 hours a day. part of the interest in cars , at least for me was freedom.....kids just don't have that today.

exposingtime

Im 34 now. This has come up a number of times over the past 8-9 years that I have been a vette owner.

I have a 63 and a 69. The majority of my friends all think they suck. Smelly, loud, etc.

I have a friend that just got a new c7. He was quick to let me take it for a drive, but had zero interest in even taking a ride in one of my cars...let alone driving one.

Not sure where this hobby will be in 10 years but I will always be a vette owner.

Gary

tokim

Not convinced it's strictly an age/generation issue.
At '59 I've been a car guy my entire life, friends of mine when I was a teenager, were also into cars. Today those same friends aren't into cars, and haven't been for 40 years.
There will always be a small percentage of diehard people who are passionate about the old car hobby, and a large majority who could care less, or their interest sways.
That small percentage of diehard enthusiasts still equates to a large amount of people.
The aftermarket parts manufacturers recognize/capitalize on those people as a profitable
business venture..even for that very small percentage of the population.
It is ever evolving due to the desire to own "the latest and the greatest", which is the category I place the passionate tuner car crowd.
Let's not forget the Rat Rod crowd (typically a younger generation, then my own). They seek out vintage steel for their creations, and are just as passionate.
There is room/passion in this car hobby for all the varying tastes.

Bottom line 10 years from now, I'll still have classic cars.
Will you?

To answer the OP's original question "why todays teenager generation is not as interested in classic cars as we wish they would be"..I for one don't "wish they would" there will always be that small segment of our society that make up true die hard car people of all ages.

CVO2FIXUP

Freedom for kids today is being locked in there rooms pluged in to some war game on line. A good day is when no one bothers them. They even forget to eat. The malenial generation are pretty useless on the most part. Can't relate to each other let alone the rest of the world. Pity.

Ontario73

When I was younger (graduated HS in 1985) we all had 'classic cars' as that was what we could afford as daily drivers. Our parents questioned our choices even back then because they were from another generation and couldn't understand why the heck we were interested in a 66 Mustang! I can fondly recall discussing with my car buddies what sort of crap our kids would be dragging home; we just couldn't imagine investing any time into a 4 cylinder Honda!! Times have certainly changed.

A year or so before he died Carol Shelby was asked, in an interview, if he thought the era of 'hot rodding' was coming to an end. His answer was a quick "no way". He went on to say "when I see an inter-city kid working a part time job to build a 800HP Honda, I'd say it is alive and well!". The kids these days are getting HP:CI ratios out of these engines at levels Duntov never dreamed of!

As far as the appeal of older cars to the next generations goes, I'd say that is completely up to us. I share my passion with my kids, take them to shows and cruises, etc. They see the cars and know them by their grilles, logos, etc. My 9 year old boy can identify any6 generation of Corvette. The child of a non-car guy in the IT field may not have the same passion for classics.

The one thing we can and must do is to share our hobby. It is a very well known fact that Corvette owners are a bit snobbish at shows. All too often the club guys are sitting in a circle at the rear of their cars and don't or won't talk to the people looking at their rides. Way too often interested people are turned off by a perceived attitude and gravitate to the friendlier Mustang or Mopar crowd. I have even been ignored several times when trying to talk to a C2 owner about a nice restoration simply because I was a mere C3 owner!

Get out there guys and gals and promote the hobby and show off the rides. Simply sharing your passion with fellow Corvette owners isn't going to do it!

bj1k

I owned and operated my auto restoration shop for over 25 years and when my son was commuting to college he would come home everyday and park his car at the shop and walk right past the garage doors and never even look inside to see what kind of hot rod or classic cars were inside . You would think he would have a huge interest but it don't always work that way. Now I'm 66 and my son is 46 and when his son ( my grandson age 9 ) comes over he will come in the garage not to see the cars , but to tell me about the new inventions that he is working on. Oh well, maybe he will hit on something big !