More Than Metal

More Than Metal

         The World English Dictionary describes an automobile as “a road vehicle driven by a motor or…internal combustion engine.” While that is certainly accurate, the definition is much too impersonal and is lacking the emotional element that is becoming more and more apparent in today’s world. Vehicles are such an important part of culture that there are entire television channels, magazines, stores, songs, and organizations dedicated to them. Wars are even fought over the substance that gives them their life-blood. Vehicles elicit such a response from us because of the humanistic traits that people associate with automobiles. One article by Jeremy Hsu says that, “People readily see faces and traits in cars.” Why is it that people of today associate such human characteristics with their vehicles? I believe it is because of their portrayal in common culture communicators, such as movies and television shows, as independent intelligent entities, their capacity to propel a person’s thoughts into the past or future, and their adaptability to a person’s style and personality.

         Lightning flashed on the movie screen, revealing the hulking matte black machine. The car, if one could call it that, was all angry edges and sharp angles. There were guns of any and every kind lining the sides ready to aid the Batmobile’s vigilante in the apprehension of another criminal. Lightning flashed again and the camera angle shifted to the inside of the vehicle. Rain pattered soundlessly on the sharply cornered windscreen as the man in black rapidly pressed button after button. Lights flashed on all manner of gadgetry that was contained on the intelligent dashboard. The engine bellowed and the tank-like vehicle was off at an unbelievable speed.

         Pareidolia is the capacity to see human features in non-human objects such as automobiles. This phenomenon is rampant throughout American culture, and it is exemplified through the sheer amount of movies or television shows that portray vehicles as human-like characters. An example of this strange infatuation with the inanimate includes Herbie, the charming “Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own (Stevenson).” The playful little Bug became a fictional racing star and raced right into the hearts of many Americans through his playful antics and surprising racing prowess. “K.I.T.T. - the talking car that could drive itself. The personality, sarcasm, and affection put forth from the sleek black sports car just captured your attention. (Larson)”, says one article about the motor-driven sidekick in the 1980s television series Knight Rider. Herbie and K.I.T.T. are geared toward two very different audiences, yet the reason that their allure is so great is the same. They have been given a very human personality by their storywriters, and many people do the same with their own vehicles. In other words, the charismatic cars are extremely relatable.  Craig Clough of Lifewhile.com claims, “Some of the biggest movie stars in film history haven’t been actors, but the cars that the actors drove.”          Metal canvases of bright colors and shiny chrome engulfed me as I strode energetically through the annual car show. I glanced to my right and a fire orange 1968 Camero SS abruptly caught my attention as it blazed in the heavy morning heat. I bustled over to admire the artistry that was the black leather upholstery inlaid with coarse orange stitching. Next my eyes lay upon a 2011 Roush Mustang. Its heavy lidded gaze glared angrily back. Timidly I gazed at the massive engine block and dreamily imagined the fantastic roar that it and the pistons would send through the exhaust. I sighed covetously, and turn to look for the source of the hypnotic beat that was thumping through my chest. The neon green Scion xB wasn’t difficult to spot with its vibrant blue vinyl decals and frame rattling beats. The car owners and car show attendees were just as diverse as the cars that they came to see and there was something for everyone to enjoy.

         Vehicles are a mode of personal expression just like the clothes that a person wears. Bright shiny rims are the equivalent of a sexy pair of high-heals, and a classic black BMW M5 makes the same statement as a company CEO’s power suit. There are vehicles and vehicle accessories to fit anybody’s specific style. Along with an automobile’s appearance, the inside of a vehicle can be adapted to an individual’s preferences. Air fresheners allow a person to choose whether they want their car to smell of “fresh breeze” or “sweet berry” and the radio can be set to express and individual’s musical preferences. The objects contained inside of a vehicle can indicate a lot about their preference and priorities. If a person’s backseat contains a book bag full of papers and notes it might be surmised that the owner of that vehicle is a student of some sort, or if the bed of an individual’s truck is filled with gardening supplies he or she might be an avid gardener. Automobiles are like a woman’s purse, you can tell a lot about the owner just by looking inside them.

I am speed; a white blur on the pages of time. The trees on either side of the road morphed into a wall of natural brown and green, as the molten sun dipped low in the quickly approaching horizon. The wonderfully deafening roar grew all the louder as my foot pressed harder on the gas pedal. My foot lifted off the gas and slammed on the break. I deftly whipped around the corner over the thick gravel, and forced the accelerator back down. Quickly, the humble country home thundered into view. Reluctantly I applied the break and turned gently into the small carport. As I pulled the wide truck key toward me in the ignition the intoxicating rumble abruptly ceased. I was speed.



         Though automobiles are great movie stars and a major mode of personal expression, they are above all a means of travel. They are above all a means of escape from the mundane of the present and the horrors of the past. “Cars are alive with a romantic, adventurous spirit which transcends the petty concerns of mobility and efficiency (Niedermeyer).” states one article. Some of the best therapy in the world can be found behind the wheel or in the passenger seat of a vehicle. Vehicles have such great therapeutic qualities that therapists are beginning to implement cars and driving into their therapy sessions. Car therapy works because, “Client and therapist are both looking down the road to recovery.” according to Christopher McCown. When home is difficult to handle or when the stresses of life are too much where do people run? Many head straight to the vehicle that can take them far away from harm, to a familiar spot of tranquility, or on a journey of speed and adrenaline. Encapsulated in vehicles are personal memories that help to shape individuals; a first kiss, a near death experience, or events of a cross country adventure. Cars and trucks are symbols of life, death, and the escape of both.

Automobiles are a major symbol of the United States, especially because of the Hollywood movies and television shows that are made famous by their unlikely motor-driven stars or co-stars. Be you a jeans and T-shirt person or brand-name-fabulous or anything in between, your vehicle is just as much a means of personal expression as your clothing. Whether you are traveling to the grocery store, a past lover’s grave, or an unfamiliar city where new adventure awaits, your vehicle is what you rely on to get you there and back. As an American it is almost impossible to escape the fantastic romanticism that surrounds the modern Automobile, but let’s be honest, who would want to?