The Way We Look At Cars

Although in real terms it is just a means of traveling, the car has taken on a completely iconic role in modern life. For some people, a car is just a car, a conveyance to get you from A to B, and maybe on to C if you are feeling adventurous. For many others, though, a car is as defining a symbol as any other, and says a lot about the person driving it.

Many people purchase a car with this in mind – sitting behind the wheel of a particular car is endlessly interwoven with status. For some people, the first thing they will do when they become definably rich is to buy the car of their dreams. Look at the players’ car park at any major sporting stadium and you will get an idea of how significant this is.

The car has had a fairly major role to play in popular culture. Particularly in cop shows and movies, the car that a central character drives will have as much significance for the viewer as the character’s wife and family and indeed the place where the show is set. Just look at the Dukes of Hazzard and Starsky and Hutch for two examples of how iconic a TV car can become.

It could be said that we fetishised the car in Western society. It is definitely true that we make a big thing out of the kind of car someone drives. Frequently, a politician will even be judged on the car they drive – is it made domestically, does it get decent gas mileage, what are my taxes paying for? The car is a source of endless fascination even for those who do not drive.