Classic Cars : Classic Nation

A New Generation of Classic Car Enthusiasts

March 5, 2008 – 8:08 am

Remember the days when you had to scour junkyards and make phone calls to all of your friends in a never-ending attempt to locate that one elusive part that you needed for your classic car project? When books, magazines, and physically going to car club meetings, shows, and swap meets for specialized restoration information were the only methods for learning more? Do you remember?

I don’t. That was before my time. Locating a part for my mustang has always been a few clicks away.

That is because I am part of a small but growing group of young hot rod and classic car enthusiasts. People my age haven’t taken over the car clubs or the shows yet, but we have established a very strong presence on the internet.

I am 24 years old, and I have been a classic car fan my whole life. I knew that I wanted a mustang when I was 13 years old, and I bought my very first car when I was 17; a 1967 mustang. That was in 2001.

Back then, I would browse the internet looking at mustang pictures and daydreaming about what my very own mustang would one day look like. The internet was a great tool for this kind of research, but it has come a long way since then.

Today, social networking websites are the rage. They allow us to actively communicate with classic car friends across the globe, sharing pictures, videos, stories, websites, and opinions. This virtual community is dominated by people my age, both male and female, who share the same passion for the vintage autos of the past. A few sites in particular are worth noting.

Facebook
A very popular social network, Facebook has become a great way to get in touch with other classic car fans. There are hundreds of groups that you can join to engage in forum chat and picture/video sharing. Now, there are even some cool hot rod inspired apps that people can add to their profile. Be sure to check out some of my favorite Facebook groups:
American Muscle Car Lovers
American Cars…… Yes, I Have An Obsession
Classic Cars!
All About Muscle Cars
Rat Rodz

Myspace
Being the largest social network, Myspace has a ton of classic car groups full of friendly gear-heads and hot rodders. There is also a very active userbase of small hot rod companies, shops, and event promoters. Myspace has its own classified section as well. Here are some of the most popular classic car groups on MySpace:
Classic Collector and Muscle Group
Muscle Car Enthusiasts
HOT-ROD SCENE

CarSpace
CarSpace is a website operated by the company Edmunds, which is known for car price guides and valuations. It is a social network for all kinds of car enthusiasts; not just classic cars, and features blogs for anyone who wants to share their thoughts. CarSpace also has a neat little section where people can ask questions and get answers from other community members.

CarDomain
CarDomain is a Seattle website that, like CarSpace, is a social network for all kinds of auto enthusiasts. It focuses more on the actual vehicles, with profile pages for each vehicle. This allows for comments and great discussions to take place on the site. CarDomain also has a event calendar, making it easy to post your local car show to the entire community.

Autopendium is a lesser known website that I found through a friend on facebook. It was created by a young classic car enthusiast, like myself, for people who want to chronicle their car restorations on the site. A really nice feature to this site is the Facebook app that ties the content into Facebook’s network, allowing people to keep tabs on their friend’s projects.

These websites are just some of the many ways that I stay connected with fellow car enthusiasts from around the world. It is fascinating to think that this method of communication has taken hold in the past few years. It is because of these great little communities, driven primarily by the under 30 generation, that I feel the classic car hobby will be around for many more generations to enjoy.

So - grab your cell phone camera and head out the door to a local car show. Then, upload those pictures with your mobile device and share your stories and knowledge with the young classic car enthusiasts of the world. We are listening.