"Everything in life is somewhere else and you get there by car". (Elvin Brooks White)
For this article, it is not of primary importance whether a "device that moves independently on the road" always has four wheels, two on both axles. But at least three are mandatory - I remember such exotic cars from my childhood, and even today they are very rare; for example, we remember the yellow three-wheeler from the "Mućke" series. It is not crucial whether it is an internal combustion engine - on gasoline or diesel fuel, recently gas-powered drives are also being designed - while in recent years the offensive of those "green", on electricity, i.e. on rechargeable batteries. Or, increasingly, a hybrid of gasoline and electric generators.
At the same time, the car is driven by a person or he (transports) in the driver's seat controlling more or less "autonomous driving". Which hasn't quite settled in yet. I will not even deal with the genesis of the modern car (it dates back to 1886). I am only interested in passenger road vehicles - leaving aside buses and trucks - as a phenomenon that resists time, similar to jeans (jeans) as an item of clothing that does not go out of fashion. With the right toys, the passion for cars develops already in early childhood.
What makes the magic of a car? First of all, a person needs to drive when he wants, where and where he wants, with whom he wants - as a rule, he determines it himself as the driver of the car or as a passenger driven by someone else. But - at least until old age or too deep pockets, i.e. significant influence in business or political circles - for the majority it is pleasant to drive their own vehicle, i.e. to "hold the steering wheel in their own hands".
At least three moments are undeniable when it comes to the magic of car driving: control of the vehicle, direction and speed, changing scenery before the driver's eyes - and, finally, the comfort of sitting while driving (often low, "reclined"), usually accompanied by music. Whether it's a manual or automatic "gear change". Many are delighted by the sound of the engine and its exhaust, the whistling of the wind through the half-open window, the "squealing" of the tires, the screeching of the brakes.
However, driving is not a rest and relaxation for everyone. Some drive only out of habit, others even out of necessity. Nevertheless, the automotive aura is undisturbed, especially that of a newly acquired one. The excitement of starting it, trying it, the freshness of the interior. As a counterpart to that, any further professional maintenance of the car during use is an obligation, for the sake of its optimal correctness and relative durability. The car often supports the driver's ego, it becomes a fetish, a "family member". In the long-ago brilliant television series (from 1982) by Zdravko Šotra, "Stories from the master workshop" - about intertwined human and automotive destinies, inspired by the professional experiences of the Belgrade car mechanic, poet and actor Dragisa Krunić - the masterful Stevo Žigon in one episode convincingly plays a lover of car, a meticulous "cleanliness perfectionist", polishing the car and entering it as quietly as possible in the shoes set aside for tô.
Otherwise, there is a widespread urge to change, buy and sell cars - by type, model, power, shape, color. Multimillionaires usually own several cars at the same time. Some do not drive them at all, or only rarely.
A car is legally classified as a "dangerous thing" because of the kinetic energy it carries while moving. And in many feature and animated films, the car is the hero or "best friend" of the main character: examples, cars of James Bond - primarily Aston Martin db5, then Noddy's car, "Herbie", cars in "Transporter", "Taxi", the movie " One man and one woman"...
It is not uncommon for many to see the car as a surrogate for socializing, a refuge, a means of escape, a change of environment. The amount of time spent in the car can also be understood as an expression of alienation. For many, it is their second home or office. In such situations, is the car a man's slave - or is it the other way around?
Three smells stun automotive connoisseurs: 1) that of the unused interior of a new car, the shine and intoxicatingness of its "innocence": 2) the smell of fuel - gasoline, regularly not diesel, and 3) the smell of hot tires after so-called drifting, sliding through a curve, changing direction and the position of the vehicle in full speed mixed with the external "roar", that is, "barking" coming from its exhaust. The feeling of radiance is also due to a carefully washed vehicle, as well as due to the tank being filled to the top. Then it seems to us that the car "pulls" better and goes easier, "more fluidly".
In the context of enthusiasm for cars, the world-famous car show is unavoidable Top gear. And along with automotive magazines, books about cult cars are especially appreciated - 501 Must drive car, Legendary cars ("which have gone down in history..."), etc. "Love is like a car: you start suddenly, drive too fast, brake too late" (Fransua History). Newly produced types of cars are usually promoted in famous, especially sea or mountain locations, thus advertising both them and themselves. Used cars are exhibited and sold at fairs, markets and markets. On the other side, rent à car services, i.e. car rental has flooded the world.
A special love for passenger cars is cultivated by clubs of lovers of a certain brand - "Alfisti" for example, or of a certain model, such as the "Fiche" or the Volkswagen "Bube". Also, "cars of the year" are chosen by various juries, drivers or automotive journalists. Old-timers also have their admirers. Lists of car engines that marked a certain period are compiled, as well as a "list" of cars that have been among the most bought or most desirable for years. Whether they are the most affordable, whether they are the pioneers of a new automotive direction, or whether they have made a big or small automotive revolution with their design, drive and other breakthroughs.
The car is not only a means of individual transportation, but a mass status symbol, regularly an indicator of the social position of the owner, his paying power - while specially prepared and adapted ("tuned") examples are the role of racing props.
All in all, the car conquers space, shortens the distance. It's hard to escape the impression that many people want to be seen behind the wheel in motion, but also that their machine - together with the wheels "dancing madly" - can be heard, and to some extent scares the environment. The more attractive and expensive the car, the sooner. Sports convertibles with powerful performance and bold body lines are especially adored. And a romantic easy ride for two "with an open roof" has not lost its attractiveness. Neither is going camping by car. In short, despite the huge advances in air and rail transport, the magic of the car has stood the test of time. It provides a perfect opportunity for all kinds of enjoyment, for expanding the freedom of human movement in accordance with the public order of each country and harmonized international traffic rules.
"The car has become a piece of clothing without which we feel insecure, undressed and incomplete". (Marshall McLaughlin)
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