To all car enthusiasts:

I am working on an anthropology research project about classic car culture: how it is an art, a following, etc. As an owner and restorer of a 1970 Mustang, I am passionate for this subject...To help me in my research, please answer any of the questions or expand on the questions in any way to provide me with some idea of how car enthusiasts feel. My email is: mschira@luc.edu and please include a name and maybe what car you own or are interested in to make this more personal. I really appreciate all the help, it means a lot to me to research this!!

Best and thank you,

Maggie
mschira@luc.edu

1.What needs is this expression meeting in society?
2.Why are automobile museums popular attractions?
3.Why are people interested in cars?
4.Describe car culture.
5.How is this pastime important to individual expression?
6.Is a car ever more than just a car? If so, how?
7.Compare classic automobile culture to art culture.

#3 : I find people gravitate to cars from their childhood and school years that they could't have or afford when they were new. It becomes a passion to have one now and the better the condition the better. Original counts too.

The folks who seem to part with untold bucks for these cars are now middle age and a bit older and can afford them now.

It's a fun sport and probably will never end, T
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Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest, Boston

"6.Is a car ever more than just a car? If so, how? "

This one is easy.... go to a car show and put one finger on someones paint job.... wait 3 seconds and look at the angry owner coming to yell at you

*****THIS WAS A JOKE*********

To answer this question, a car like anything held for a long period of time becomes a part of you... people can sometimes treat a car as if it was an individual as well. For the most part a car is reliable and in their different ways beautiful. I think one of the biggest attractions to the automobile is that its man-made. And the amount of moving working parts required for the car to run is a work of art. So when you take an individual that rebuilds a car, with their own time money and sweat in the project it becomes more then a car, and a sense of pride and accomplishment to show off the work.