I noticed on the way into work today that I was the only one driving a passenger vehicle with all four windows down. Mind you, it was a nice, warm spring day, about 10:30 in the morning (before you complain about my cushy hours, I work 'til 7:30 in the p.m.), and I used three different Southern California freeways to traverse the roughly 23 miles from home to office.
I was passing and being passed by hundreds of other commuters who were on their way, but not one of them had their windows in the down position. From Benzs to Geos, all were content with the processed air that was being fed into their cockpit rather than taking a chance by sucking in what is really out there (I don't trust air that I can't see).
But it made me think about the type of drivers they are versus the type of driver I am. I like the feel of the road, wind buffeting my hair and head, looking for gaps in traffic to accel through, and the numbness in my hands when I've driven too far that day. I really enjoy driving, and felt sorry for those other people driving in their nondescript econoboxes and luxo-cruisers if they weren't enjoying the experience.
I guess that's why I like hot rods, and why I like the kit and replicar world. Both are centered on the fun aspect of owning a vehicle, and not just any vehicle. I've only owned 50 or so cars in my life, but none of them really looked liked anybody else's. And that's probably why I have faith in the kit and replicar industry. As Detroit continues to try to "tap into" some craze or fad, most of us are already well on our way to owning or driving the car of our dreams.
Being new to this industry (having spent the last 20 years in the street rod and VW scene), I was shocked at the lack of new products being developed for the aftermarket. I'm not talking about something new to make a Cobra body out of, but the type of products that can be bought by anyone for nearly any type of vehicle. Even the VW aftermarket is still developing new products for those cars, and they haven't produced an air-cooled VW for this country in 25 years!
Recently one kit company complained to us about how it had been a long time since they were profiled in the magazine. I visited them at a show only to find they hadn't done anything new in several years, and were still using the car they built in the early '90s (with lots of waves in the body) as a company showpiece to promote their product! Another company, who took us up on our invitation to sit down and talk (our side consisting of our advertising manager, publisher, and editor) about his company's outlook, went away convinced that it was either too expensive to tool up for the new product ideas we freely gave him to update and expand his product line, or he didn't want to invest in something to help his company because the idea might be ripped off by some other company. We just couldn't win for trying to help.
The same old same old will not work in the future, at least not without an influx of new ideas and concepts to better a product. This goes for body design all the way down to small parts like a clevis. With the recent introduction of a few new GT40 clones, companies should be eyeing them as a way to bolster their own product line by creating ancillary items that can complement these cars. Every vehicle owner wants a choice as to what parts he'll want to add to make his car his own, from shock springs to steering wheels, so why not be the first (or best) choice for this future customer? Opportunities are all around, and the advantage is to those who can recognize a need.