Do you remember the moment you fell in love with cars? There’s a good chance you do. But you probably don’t know when you ignited the spark of passion for them in someone else. You may have done that with something as small as a toy or by merely driving by them. Such a simple act may have changed the entire trajectory of somebody’s life.
Cars have always been a part of my life, but the moment that they came into sharper focus occurred at one of my brother’s birthday parties. Among the presents he received was a white Hot Wheels Lamborghini Countach. Looking back on it now, I recall it being more than just a toy to me. It was special, a singular object of desire. If I remember correctly, my poor brother ended up (begrudgingly) giving it to me.
Several years later, my dad and I stopped by a garage sale. For some reason, they had a red Maisto 1:18-scale Lamborghini Diablo for the bargain price of $1. My dad was kind enough to buy it for me. He might’ve ended up regretting that because that led to him and my mom buying me model cars for my birthday and Christmas every year. My dad even built me a shelving unit just to house the reminders of the addiction he started in me. Luckily, that addiction led to positive things: friends, adventures, and a career in which I can work alongside fellow enthusiasts.
It wasn’t until several years ago that I started to think about what starts people down the path I traveled. In 2015, Ford brought the only 2017 F-150 Raptor in existence at the time down to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for journalists and the general public to see. I was impressed by its broad stance, increased power, and beefed-up hardware, but while I was interviewing one of Ford’s representatives in front of the Raptor, I couldn’t help but be distracted by something I saw in the distance. As a group of young boys were walking behind the Raptor’s display stand, one of them took a long look at the muscular, 450-horsepower beast. The question at the top of my mind at that moment wasn’t related to the interview at all. I wondered, What if this Raptor is the vehicle that starts a lifelong love of cars in that kid? It’s possible that decades from now, he’ll tell his children where he was when he saw the Raptor before it had even come out for sale. He may even end up buying one because it instantly became one of the things he aimed to buy once he made enough money.
Several months ago, the same question popped into my head as I was leaving my neighborhood and heading toward my office. At the time, I wasn’t driving my 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt, but I had driven that route in it for about a year. I passed a group of elementary school students waiting for their bus, some of which had probably seen my Bullitt drive by them before. My first exposure to the S197 version of the Bullitt was through pictures and videos online – and that was enough to make me aspire to get one someday. I can’t imagine how big an impact the distinctive yet low-key Bullitt would’ve had on me if I had seen one rumble past me at close range, especially at the age of eight. Did my mundane drives through suburbia have a life-changing effect on one of the kids I passed by in my Bullitt? Did that car create at least one future gearhead? I’ll never know. One thing I’m certain of is that it only takes one seemingly insignificant event to alter your future and fill it with car magazines, fun and fast drives, and friends who share your passion.
What about you? What was the car or experience that made you into an enthusiast? Please let me know in the comments below.
Source: www.classiccars.com