Back in the fifties and sixties, cars were a huge status symbol. People traded their cars in every two or three years—the flashier, the better. But as the years went by, the new car culture gradually dwindled down. Finally, there comes a time in life when you don’t want a change. New cars don’t appeal after 80.
In the early 20th century, only the wealthy could afford to own more than one car. As an example, when I was in college, none of my girlfriends owned a car. If anyone did, they came from a rich family. After graduating college and going to work in Chicago, it was rare for a young city dweller to own a car. Everyone took the subway or the el. But when you did finally marry, settle down, and move to the suburbs, you were expected to have at least one late model car.
That began to change in the late 50’ and early 60’s, when the Volkswagen Beetle craze took over. Suddenly, it was seen as smart to buy a small, gas efficient car that might last for years. In a form of reverse snobbery, it became a point of pride to keep a small, foreign car for years on end. Later on, the Honda replaced the Volkswagen as the favored anti-materialistic vehicle.
The average person today keeps their car for 10 years. That would have made you the object of derision in the 50’s. And yet, cars still do serve as status symbols. Cadillacs may seem a little too flashy, but wealthy people still drive luxury foreign cars like a Lexus or a Beemer.
After you’re 80, though, new cars don’t appeal. They’re way too sophisticated—all the computerized bells and whistles are confusing. Once you’ve gotten used to the dashboard in your car, you don’t want to take on a new one. My car turns 13 this year, and has over 100,000 miles. But I know where everything is. How to turn on the windshield wipes and turn on the defogger. I even had a side door replaced when someone dented it in a parking lot. Yes, I can afford a new car. But I really don’t want one.
