There are whole heaps of different things that make up car culture around the world. Sure, it’s about the vehicles, but it’s also about the location, the roads, the weather and, most importantly, the people.
To celebrate the different facets of car culture, we turned to you and asked for some of your favorite aspects of the automotive hobbies on display in your area.
Here are some of the best responses we received.
“That there’s even a car culture to begin with. But seriously, the KC area is surprisingly a city of car people amongst CUVs and Altimas. Autocross happens within city limits. If you want to do even more Autocross, the ones outside KC are about an hour away. Race track that has a road course, 1/4 strip, and drift pad an hour away. There’s all kinds of Cars & Coffee events in a month, all in different places. Random pop-up meets that don’t end in the deaths of bystanders.
“There’s also this place called The Fuel House, which is basically a car themed club house for paying members. There’s a restaurant, coffee shop, bar, workshop, etc. inside. One can store their car in the facility for display. If you want to drive your expensive car, the staff will pull your car out for you before you even arrive. Yea, it’s for rich people but they open it up to the public during their monthly C&C. Besides The Fuel House, there are a lot of classic car/exotic car storage all over the metro area. More than any other city I’ve lived in.
“There are also quite a variety of cars to be spotted. From JDM, USDM, Euro, exotics, classics, replicas, kit cars, and imported. KC is a McLaren city, though. Since Ferrari is so stuck up their own asses to take money from ‘peasants’, the wealthy here just buy McLarens. Though one may see a Lambo here and there.
“It’s a great city for car enthusiasts. The only thing missing is a long, twisty driving road within an hour or 2 of the metro. There are twisty routes, but they’re short and usually entail connecting different roads together. But who needs that when you can just autocross or go to the racetrack?”
Autocross, car spotting, the occasional twisty route and even a special club! Kansas sounds like a fun place.
Suggested by: mountainbikingandtrackdays
“Southern California Low Rider clubs have got to be some of the nicest people on the planet. Low riders aren’t really my thing but I will go to any Low rider car show for two main reasons.
“1) The cars are rolling art.
“2) The people driving them are so kind. Pasty white boy walks into a predominantly Mexican show and welcomed like an old friend. These communities do a great job of including the whole family which brings a fun element to the show. It’s not just cars but also food, music, games, etc.”
Beautiful cars and lovely people, what more could you ask for at a car meet? Nothing, that’s what.
Suggested by: Chris Dirkes (Facebook)
“The MN S2K group is the absolute best model-specific car group there is as far as I’ve seen. Good mix of track guys, weekend cruise guys, show car guys, etc, and everyone is great to each other and always has each others’ back.
“Tons of part swapping going on and people helping each other out when they need something. I needed a valve cover of all things earlier this year to make it to a track day, and a dude happened to have one he lent me until mine was back from being modified.
“10/10 group, 10/10 people, would highly recommend. Pic related from a meetup/cruise last year.”
This is what we’re talking about, community! People helping each other out, using their cars for fun and just having the best time.
Suggested by: bigred91
“Not much. I live in a small town where the car culture is only about lifted, loud ass trucks that 90% of only drive to work and back. All though there is a guy with a mint condition 1980 Chevette that he drives every day, I find that pretty interesting.”
If car culture in your area can be summed up in a 1980s Chevette, you might have a problem.
Suggested by: @diecastjoel (Twitter)
“Well, not exactly ‘car’ but a snowmobile does also have an engine after all.
“In Quebec we have races and hundreds of snowmobile trails in amazing scenery (with stops that provide restaurants, inns, fuel, etc.). It is very popular with the locals or the international visitors. Gilles Villeneuve started his racing career in racing with these monster snowmobiles (they are fast!).”
We said four wheels, but we’ll make an exception here as snowmobiles are cool.
Suggested by: minardi
“Not a local car ‘culture’ per se, but rather the group WE roll with. The OSCAAR Hot Rod Series tours around Southern Ontario with vintage-appearing steel bodied stock cars 1948-1974.
“Here you’ll find obscure racers like Studebaker Hawk, AMC Ambassador, Charger Daytona, AMC Javelin, and of course our ‘59 Bonneville.
“Most teams haul on open trailers and quite often the routes to each track will have teams rolling in for a quick snack – only to have a crowd gather ‘round the trailers to snap pictures and ask questions.
“What makes these guys the best? On the track, it’s a hard charging group – but without the absolute violence you typically see in similarly-paced SuperStocks. OFF the track and you’ll find yourself amongst the kindest group of racers you’ll find anywhere.
“We’ve got guys currently finishing up their season with borrowed engines or transmissions. If something breaks on a car – quite often you’ll find yourself with offers of parts or help from virtually every other team in the pits - doing whatever they can to get your car back out on the track.
“Even during the week you’ll often find rival teams visiting each other’s shops to offer wrenching help, drop off parts, or just shoot the breeze. It’s really an incredible thing.”
This sounds like a blast, how do I join?
Suggested by: Scott Pro (Facebook)
“Vancouver Island here – and the thing that most amazed me about the car culture where I live is the number of vintage VW vans (and the occasional transporter pick up) being used for real camper van things. It’s almost like existing in a time capsule – you’ll see the same vans from the 70s, 80s or 90s being used both actual campers on the beach – surf boards strapped to the top, wetsuits drying on the door, mountain bikes slung onto the back – but also as vintage vehicles that’ll show up at car shows.
“These are vehicles that could be sold for $20k, $30k + and they’re still being used the way they were meant to be used. But also celebrated and displayed as survivors.”
Using your cars for the exact purpose they were made for shouldn’t make a car culture stand out, but these days it often does! I must say though, I’d love to daily an old VW and take it on my trips for the beach.
Suggested by: z2221344
“It’s not what it was 15+ years ago, but all the tuner cars would meet up on the bridges across Tampa Bay at like 1am. It was like a meet of 100+ cars. People kept it mostly respectful. And while I don’t condone street racing, they’d wait until the bridge was empty to drag across.”
It’s like real life Fast & Furious!
Suggested by: @IAmGaroott (Twitter)
“I live near Watkins Glen. My favorite was hearing local kids call out vintage racing machines and their drivers like mini savants during the Vintage GP weekend.
“Great weekend in that for all of the rare metal on display you have lots of opportunities to see them in motion. The old course parade laps, up at the track where most push hard, the concours d’elegance post-parade and most years there’s a Gymkhana or autocross ran by a local club. One year I saw a Delorean, a Lotus 7, A Blues Brothers patrol car, and a pillar-less XJ coupe smack cones, among everything else...like a Kawasaki powered Zagato Zele?? Howbout yeah!
“The sheer variety of hero cars you can spot not just that weekend, but on a random Tuesday in town or someone’s club event at the track is both heartwarming and awe inspiring-for a local enthusiast.
“Most often what puts a smile on my face is the solo chap (or lady) with an MG-T, Miata etc. Top down, zipping through our rolling countryside on their way to The Glen for a casual day trip; wine drinking, waterfall hiking, car spotting themselves, maybe sitting in the grass at the track eating chicken riggies, watching the cars zip by.”
Striking that balance between appreciating the art of an old car and enjoying its purpose is tough. This sounds like it hits the nail on the head though!
Suggested by: brgdsm
“The 1st gen Honda CRX/3rd gen Honda Civic/1st gen Acura Integra community is united by the dearth of parts available for your old cars. Honda would like to pretend that anything they sold five or more years ago does not exist, so our 30+ year old cars as SOL.
“And the Aftermarket? If there is not volume demand for parts, they are not interested in tooling up. The very best feature of our community are the talented folks who share tips and tricks to modify existing parts not meant for our cars. Or, in some cases, fabricate parts for those in need.
“A special shout out to our overseas friends who can ship EDM and JDM goodness to our shores.”
Another group of lovely Honda owners! Maybe we could all learn a thing or two from our local Civic driver.
Suggested by: Scott Harris (Facebook)
“Where I live (Durham NC), the most interesting ‘car’ culture going on is bikes and quads. Huge, roving gangs of people on customized dirt bikes and ATVs cruising around. It’s a bit loud, but also kind of hilarious and awesome. And pretty much harmless, except to one’s eardrums.”
Loud, hilarious and awesome, that’s what we here at Jalopnik strive for almost every day.
Suggested by: ibelle42
“There’s a tremendous amount of comradeship among all the clubs and gear heads here in the area. Out of all the shows and meetups I’ve been to, everyone gets along and is willing to help each other out no matter the make, model, or mod.”
It’s not just about the wonderful cars, it’s about the wonderful people driving them too.
Suggested by: @2013jcwmini (Twitter)
“We’ve got a pretty bad problem with ‘takeovers’ and ‘sideshows,’ but that aside, Atlanta and Georgia in general is a pretty awesome place to be a gearhead.
“We have Road Atlanta, Atlanta Motorsports Park, Atlanta Motor Speedway, among other smaller tracks, as well as the Porsche Experience Center. We host one of the largest Cars & Coffee-style shows in the country, stunning mountain drives are quite easily accessible, the climate is friendly, and as a bonus, Georgia doesn’t require front license plates.
“Atlanta’s car scene is incredibly diverse; classics, muscle cars, Malaise and Radwood-era, JDM, Donks, Low Riders, show cars, trucks, tuners – almost all automotive co-cultures are well represented, and Greater Atlanta is in relatively close proximity to other automotive attractions such as Amelia Island, Barber Motorsports Park, Lane Motor Museum, etc.
“I know that there’s a lot of confirmation bias at play here because I know Atlanta better than I know any other city, but there are indeed a lot of things that make this a great place to be a car enthusiast.”
Can we get a slice of that Atlanta culture up here in NYC, please?
Suggested by: Aldairion
“Inclusivity. The local Cars & Coffee is in a pretty upper class area, but you can show up in just about anything. Rusty, weird, slow, fast, goofy, or cool; if you pull up in anything even slightly interesting you’ll get interested people around your car, asking you all about it.”
The sooner everyone admits that we all just like cars, so should just get along nicely, the better.
Suggested by: Clay Weiland (Facebook)
“In the PNW we have Avants (which is now in Denver, LA, Portland, and soon Scottsdale) and they have changed everything for the culture here. They have a ‘Drive Everything’ motto, and the hard rule that people are simply respectful toward each other. And it works. LaFerraris and 80s Preludes at the same meet-up, and everyone is actually.. nice. People just get it.
“You can ask questions, and even if it seems like a dumb question to a car veteran, the conversation is kept very civil and it doesn’t go down the meme and sarcasm rabbit hole of answers, it’s just answers. They have a large, growing population of women drivers and a bunch of women focused events. Hands on learning events, discounts, and a ton of local and national shop support. They have an amazing print magazine. They just launched a partnership with BaT as well. It’s just a very different group to be a part of and you’ll see it from the start.”
Drive Everything is a motto that all car fans should strive to live by.
Suggested by: surfswitch
“We have a couple of really knowledgeable hot rod guys that host weekly meetings in their shops for anybody that wants to hang out, learn, work on projects, use tools, share knowledge.
“It’s great for somebody stuck on a project or just generally lacking motivation to get back in the garage.”
Honestly, this sounds lovely. Can I pop round one weekend? I’ll bring tea and biscuits.
Suggested by: Brad Bashor (Facebook)