“Where are the young people?” a boomer friend of mine asked me. “There just aren’t any kids interested in cars anymore.”
Two words: Riverside Chattanooga.
The annual affair along the Tennessee River had the “kids,” yet used the same formula car shows have used for decades.
Mouth-watering food. Soul-moving music. Eye-catching cars.
What has changed? The particulars of those three elements.
Tacos instead of hot dogs. Today’s rock instead of yesterday’s. More imports than American muscle.
Sure, the individual tastes have changed with generations, but the basics of car culture remain unchanged.
Yes, car shows are still about the cars, although today’s scene is a bit more eclectic.
Autozam AZ-1. Jaguar XJ6. A rainbow of Volvos. Not your jam? Don’t worry, there’s a little bit of everything–and nothing seems off limits (even old-school Camaros). This generation that prides itself on diversity makes everyone feel welcome.
Even this millennial, who’s starting to see flecks of gray in his beard.
And for a generation often vilified for being engrossed in their digital devices, zoomers took the time to greet me and have discussions.
Not because of my Grassroots Motorsports shirt.
Not because they knew me.
But because it’s the humanly thing to do.
I still remember the grumpy old men who chastised me when I got into the car scene.
“These kids aren’t right,” they say. “You know nothing,” they’d scold me. “Go junk your car,” they’d suggest for my ’74 Caddy.
After that, I made it my personal mission not to be that guy, especially when I become an old man.
The good news: I don’t think I’ve become that as I hit middle age.
The better news: I don’t think the next generation will end up like that.
The best news: you don’t have to be that way, either.
So, embrace all those who love cars, whether they’re zoomers or boomers–or another generation entirely. We’re more alike than you think.
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I’ll add that one of the worst parts about our scene is gatekeeping.
Is it not our job–our responsibility–to keep the scene alive by bringing the youth into the fold?
It might not be what you think is cool, but what’s important is fostering the passion.
It’s been eye opening to me to see all those same people that scoffed at the “old folk” who were set in their ways become those old folk that are set in their ways. Refusing to accept change is the fastest way to being an out of touch unhappy fuddy duddy. I love the modern car scene despite my graying beard. Well, not so much the street takeover part of it but there’s always been an underbelly to the car scene just like anything else in life.
Still, the people who spent their adolescence smoking pot and street racing in their hot rods while their parents groaned are now groaning while the kids these days do the exact same stuff with a different flavor. The more things change…
When I was a teen interested in cars, I couldn’t understand why the old guys wanted flathead Fords when the small block Chevy was so much better. It simply didn’t make sense to me. A few years ago I was fiddling with a Chevelle and was looking at power options. The LS platform was “better” in every way, but I chose to go SBC for aesthetics and probably nostalgia. As an old guy, I suddenly realized what the old guys of my youth were on about.
I am not a big fan of the cars or some of the behaviors of the modern car scene. I am a fan of the fact that there IS a modern car scene. I don’t need to like what the kids are doing to like that they are doing it. Things evolve. I can appreciate that their tastes are different than mine.
Now get off my lawn!
dculberson said:
Still, the people who spent their adolescence smoking pot and street racing in their hot rods while their parents groaned are now groaning while the kids these days do the exact same stuff with a different flavor. The more things change…
What the hell would you know about that, fuddy duddy?? 
ShawnG
MegaDork
4/3/26 10:22 a.m.
I’ve been to enough shows to no longer want to sit next to my car for 5 hours.
I enjoy going on tours a lot more. Dave from Classic Car Adventures puts on some fantastic trips. Week long tours and day adventures. This is what cars are for. Not sitting in a lawnchair, being ear-raped by Good Vibrations and watching granny in her poodle skirt do the twist.
That said, I’m trying to get back into the car show scene and trying to make myself enjoy it. Mostly by bringing ratty old survivor cars that make the rivet counters have kittens. As the great Dave Frieburger says “Beaters are Neater”.
I will absolutely give anyone a ride in my Model T, any time they want it. If taking a kid around the block and letting him honk the horn gets them into the car scene then I’m all for it.
ShawnG said:
I’ve been to enough shows to no longer want to sit next to my car for 5 hours.
I enjoy going on tours a lot more. Dave from Classic Car Adventures puts on some fantastic trips. Week long tours and day adventures. This is what cars are for. Not sitting in a lawnchair, being ear-raped by Good Vibrations and watching granny in her poodle skirt do the twist.
That said, I’m trying to get back into the car show scene and trying to make myself enjoy it. Mostly by bringing ratty old survivor cars that make the rivet counters have kittens. As the great Dave Frieburger says “Beaters are Neater”.
I will absolutely give anyone a ride in my Model T, any time they want it. If taking a kid around the block and letting him honk the horn gets them into the car scene then I’m all for it.
This. All of this.
I like to go to cruise nights or cars and coffee type things that aren’t full of (to use your wonderful term) rivet counters. I’m glad that there are still people bringing perfect restorations out, but I gravitate toward the beater every time.
ShawnG said:
I will absolutely give anyone a ride in my Model T, any time they want it. If taking a kid around the block and letting him honk the horn gets them into the car scene then I’m all for it.
As the parent of a kid–who definately has a budding interest in cars, if not going fast–I really appreciate owners who are cool with kids touching their cars. I get why you wouldn’t want that, because kids can be…unpredictable, but that’s all the more reason why I appreciate it.
(Also, if you’re shopping for road tours, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t reccomend our own Classic Motorsports Road Tours. 
)
I took a 2JZ-powered 1931 Ford hot rod to dozens of car shows and meets, from the winga-dinga boomer trophy shows to the late night tuner meets. Never encountered a single shiny happy person in person. Everyone in person is cool. Same vibes at the track, or autocross, or any motorsport event. It’s only on the internet where things like “gatekeeping” or “generationally ruined car culture” occur.
Seriously I bring the new and the vintage stuff out to the local shows hosted by the younger clubs. They are amazing people and very GRM adjacent. I would not start with a EK civic and go as crazy as they do but the love is there. We don’t really have many people from the takeover scene here anymore thank god.
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