Automotivism

A while back, I wrote an article about Volkswagen gurus & how ‘different’ they are. There’s a very particular type of love veedubbers have for those little German boxes. It’s not just brand loyalty, it’s more like dedication… or obsession, devotion, & fanaticism. Maybe even a disorder lol. Honestly, there should be psych studies on it. But my point here is… 

It’s not just the Volkswagen crowd…

So let’s talk about them: The ones who can tell you everything there is to know about a particular vehicle. Not a lineup; not a brand. But one… specific… model. These guys know the horsepower figures for every year. They know when the camshaft changed halfway through production in ’98. And they can tell you if a part was made in Germany, the U.S., or a third plant in Slovakia that only produced 3,104 units. They’ll tell you which VIN prefix is more valuable, what options were never available together unless you bribed someone at the factory. And they’ll throw around phrases like “numbers-matching” and “production code ZJ8” like it should be common knowledge for everyone.

That’s not just fandom or enthusiasm: It’s Automotivism…

Let’s start with one of my first loves as a kid: Old-school American cars. I’m talking 1940s and ’50s cruisers, hot rods from the ’30s, big fins, whitewalls, suicide doors, and the glorious roar of carb-fed V8s. I was obsessed with Henry Ford as a child. Model Ts, Model As, assembly lines, WWII Bombers run out of the Ford factories… all of it. I used to stare at photos & books like I was reading ancient scripture. As I got older (in the early 90’s), I expanded my horizons to JDM cars in addition to hot rods. The kind you built in your garage with a buddy and a six-pack. Then came the clean classics – Bel Airs, Galaxies, Fairlanes. Machines that were designed from passion, not focus groups.

Automotivism described…

These are the ones who can glimpse of a rusty ’55 Bel Air in the back of someone’s yard from (from a car traveling 60mph), and instantly tell you how it’s different from a ’56 or a ’57. They know the exact trim and/or corner-light placement… and which chrome pieces were one-year-only. They’ll tell you what “Tri-Five” means and why it matters. They can rattle off production numbers, factory color codes, and which interior options were only available on the hardtop versus the wagon. They don’t just like these cars – they know them… inside & out.

That’s Automotivism…

It’s the guys who can diagnose a car over the phone… and tell you exactly where you need to look & what size socket to bring. When you don’t just know a car… you know the lineage. Along with all the quirks & intricacies that became talking-points over time. It’s storytelling, it’s history, it’s passion… and I love it. And honestly, I pray that kind of obsessive love gets passed down. Because somewhere along the way, we started getting car fans who really don’t understand cars. They play the part… but don’t speak the language. We need more of the ones who go deep. Who research, who learn, and who care. Because that’s how this thing survives.

Automotivism manifests in many forms…

There’s a whole other breed of enthusiast out there: The setup whisperers. People who can look at your car, your tire setup, your suspension, and immediately tell you what it’s going to do before you even pull out of the driveway. The ones who live in a world of preload, scrub radius, weight distribution, tire compounds, clearances, and brake bias. They don’t just drive cars – they tweak them, refine them, and shape them for better capability and/or spirited driving. They’ll spec a build around your lifestyle like a tailor measuring you for a suit. And they’ve always got a plan. That’s Automotivtism. A beautiful kind.

And we need that more than ever right now… 

Because the cars coming out of the factories lately??? They’re cookie-cutter nonsense. Same gimmick driving modes, same disengaged performance, and the same dumb/numb steering feel. The soul is gone. These modern OEMs have forgotten something crucial: Passion creates passion. And appliances create apathy. Car culture cannot survive without the backyard builder & the garage mechanic. The aftermarket isn’t just a hobby, it’s the lifeblood of innovation. Trial & error based off passion & curiosity. The constant, relentless pursuit of better… and pushing the limit.

And here’s the part most people don’t consider. A lot of the features we take for granted in today’s cars — didn’t come from a boardroom. It came from hot-rodders & tuners… in sheds, garages, & dirt-floor shops with one light bulb and no budget. Things like:

•The Hurst shifter — born from racers wanting to bang gears faster than OEM slop would allow.

•Disc brakes on American cars — pushed forward by hot-rodders and racers long before Detroit caught on.

•EFI tuning software — pioneered by the DIY crowd trying to modernize old engines.

•Wideband O2 sensors — now common, once cutting-edge tech used mostly by turbo nerds trying to not blow up their engines.

So when we talk about Automotivism…

We’re talking about the tinkerers, the innovators, and the obsessors. The ones who don’t stop at good enough. They don’t just use cars — they breathe them, build them, and personalize them. And if we’re lucky, they’ll teach the next generation how to do it too.

Article by David S. Windsor