There are people who drive cars, and there are car people.
Two weeks ago today during a very well attended SAE WCX World Congress Experience presentation at Cobo Center in Detroit, Alex Roy attempted to explain the difference to his audience. [1,2,3,4,5]
What we drive says who we are, what people think of us …. In the past, we were ‘one with the machine.’ The future would have us be ‘none with the machine.’
Attendees seated before him gave no indication of seeing any problem whatsoever with that. Despite being highly invested in and hands-on with all sorts of vehicles as part of their livelihoods, few if any were car people.
Mr Roy wasn’t likely a first name anticipated among self-driving vehicle professionals at WCX18. Having quite vocally identified a Morgan 3 Wheeler as one of his favorite vehicles, Alex Roy is an unabashed car person. What he had to say was incredibly important, but he didn’t fit in there. [6,7]
Rather, he was exactly the type you’ll likely find at Brewed Awakenings on any given Saturday morning for “Saline Cars and Coffee.” At the risk of cliché, if you’re looking for car people, you’ll know them when you see them here. [7,8]
The first car you might have noticed in the parking lot last Saturday was a 1950 Mercury owned by John Gilroy. But it would be a mistake to generalize about commonality among make, year of manufacture, or what’s under the hood. A 1979 Porche 928 driven in by Bobby G (Robert Gruszczynski) was right across from the Mercury.
And not far from that, an orange 2017 Dodge Challenger. Why? “Cars are always grey, black, or white,” John Begian patiently asserted to Saline Journal by way of explaining his choice. “If you drive one of these cars, you want to stand out from the pack.”
Inside at a long table near the window, almost a dozen car people sat together talking — in conversations typically running two or more at a time. Each individual a coffee, of course. Everyone had a personal story to tell, always with passion; that was an important common denominator.
How much did any one of them typically know about cars?
“Anything from nothing to automotive engineering,” Dick Dafforn said. All ages. Some with a vast amount of knowledged to share, others simply eager to learn. Equally at home here were people who owned several cars of this sort and those who had yet to own one.
About half had driven here in “the” car that connected them to the group. April 21 was the first good Saturday for bringing them out for 2018. During the winter months and salt, expect to see few if any of the treasured vehicles. In the coming months, the ratio of driver to attention-getting car will be more likely to reach one-to-one. Also expect to see these ad hoc get-togethers move outside of the coffee shop itself in the weeks to come.
If it’s in anyway related to cars, it’s likely to be discussed here. Mechanical, coachwork, and bodies — with stock and custom paint schemes. Where do you store your car in the winter? Who can respond to a call for volunteer help needed at the Saline Street Machines car show during Saline’s Summerfest? What sort of insurance coverage does a newly hosted event need to carry?
There’s no indication that Saline Cars & Coffee was discussed at all during WCX18 this month. If Alex Roy knew about any of the above, he didn’t mention it.
But if you want to understand the culture and dedication of individuals who drive “for ritual and control,” as Mr Roy asserted, there’s no better place to look than right here in Saline Michigan on any given Saturday, any time of the year.
References
- WCX18: SAE World Congress Experience (home page).
- The Drive (home page).
- Human Driving Association (home page).
- “Ask a gearhead: Alex Roy” Steven Perez (August 25, 2017) Turo.
- “Alex Roy” Twitter.
- “Morgan 3 Wheeler In-Depth Review – Morgan Versus: Episode 1” Polizei 144 (August 18, 2017) YouTube.
- Brewed Awakenings (home page).
- Saline Cars & Coffee (Facebook Page).
Hashtag
#drivingSaline
