Car culture? Heh let’s be honest… the ‘culture’ side has been tested over the last decade or so. Probably more accurate to say consumerism, exploitation, or fashion. No question – the ‘numbers & views’ are there for car culture… just like a Tesla has a quick 0-60 time. But who cares if there’s no substance or grit behind it. The rebellious nature that once made car culture so magnetic… has softened. And the grit-factor has been ravaged by selfies, corny thumbnails, self-promotion, and algorithms. Mechanics has been replaced by electronics & monitoring devices. And 20th-century defiance succumbed to 21st-century obedience.
I’m not calling out anyone in particular…
But a lot of car shows/events these days seem like a cash grab. Just like a lot of people show up ‘to get content’. Car culture has gotten grossly oversaturated… yet diluted at the same time. We’re losing ‘the culture’ in the culture is what it boils down to. And we need to stop living our life through an iPhone lens… prolly too late for that. Therefore, our test is to find ways to keep the integrity & authenticity in car culture. And on that mission…
Tyler Simons started Cars Behind Bars…
To help raise money for the Old Joliet Prison outside of Chicago. Tyler wanted to provide an event that would bring the best cars together from all different genres and sub-cultures of the automotive world. Old, new… young, old… foreign & domestic. At Cars Behind Bars, the cars flirt with that old prison backdrop in ways that’s hard to define… but easy to recognize. All said & done, the American hot-rodder spirit is engrained in the American spirit itself. Resist obedience. Live by your own rules. Prioritize excitement & freedom. Outrun the law. Challenge authority & conformity. Bad boys can be good guys… it’s complicated lol. But at the Old Joliet Prison… there’s an aura. And it’s visually poetic to see car culture posted-up around those prison walls & fences. Well done Tyler Simons!
Photos by Austin Hattabaugh & Mindy McCombs
