Is America’s Love Affair with the Car over?

Either way, no one wants to break down while driving

America has had a long love affair with the

car. But is that coming to an end? Either way,
if you love your car, or just want to get from
point A to point B, maintenance is key.

In 1969, if you ordered a new Ford Mustang, Fairlane or Falcon from the factory, you had 24 colors to choose from. But, today, if you ordered a 2025 Ford Escape, you would have six colors to choose from and, technically, four of those ‘colors’ aren’t colors at all. They’re shades – black, white, silver and grey (Agate Black Metallic, Oxford White, Space Silver Metallic and Carbonized Gray Metallic).

Watch an old television show, and you’ll see cars of every color and shade of color. It’s as if America’s famous love affair with the car was expressed in technicolor. And that’s the question – is America’s love affair with the car over?

Beyond the colors of cars, there are other indications that this may be the case. For instance, many young people today don’t seem to get excited about getting their driver’s license.

In 1969, these are the colors you

could choose from when buying
a new car.

Parents sometimes complain about having to push their kids out the door to take driver’s ed and learn to drive. Years ago, teenagers were chomping at the bit eager to start driving on their own.

It seems more frequent to hear people today speaking about their cars, “I just want a car to get me from Point A to Point B.”

Car owners who have a love affair with the car are usually eager for opportunities to get behind the wheel and drive.

Of course, one thing hasn’t changed – drivers don’t like it if their car breaks down. No one wants to be stuck on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. But drivers used to risk that when there were no cell phones to connect them with help if they broke down.

They loved to drive and it was worth the risk.

Worth the risk or not, they knew that the best way to avoid breaking down was to do a good job of maintaining their vehicle. That principle applies today, too.

Whether you’re just trying to get from Point A to Point B, or if you’re out enjoying a drive in a car you love, knowing that you’re unlikely to breakdown enhances the experience almost as much as not actually breaking down.

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