Many blokes’ (and some girls’) affinity with all things mechanical is well documented and over the years has become ingrained in the way we see society and other people taken separately. But out of all mechanical creations, it’s cars that have the widest appeal and interest most people around the world, regardless of geography, culture or money. The question is why?

What makes cars so special that we’ve been obsessed with them for over a century? I mean there are other branches of industry that churn out cool and complicated contraptions, but cars just seem to get us more – they offer depth and mass appeal at the same time; you can know very little about cars and feel pleased with your knowledge or you can know a lot and want to constantly add to that. It’s an interest that turns into a passion that then grows exponentially the more you know and before you know it you’re cornered and can’t but like cars…

Yes, there are those who prefer bikes, trains, planes, robots or rockets above cars, but if they do like one of the other types of cool creations, they’ll most likely appreciate cars to a degree as well – they’d be seen as ignorant and ill-informed otherwise by their (probably) car-loving peers.

But back to the main question of this article: why do you love cars and why is the affection so widespread? Is it because you can find a four-wheeled vehicle built to a decent standard anywhere in the world these days, and that people have had a chance to experience and understand the feeling of driving?

Is it the thrill of driving itself that attracts people, or is it the complicated mechanical nature of cars that fascinates them?

There is one important aspect to note: nobody who’s a real car guy realizes he likes cars at age 30. Being into cars is something that either has to manifest before your age turns to two digits, or it will never fully develop. Late-in-life, car guys aren’t as absorbed by the whole deal and may have other reasons for being into it, like impressing people in order to draw attention away from character flaws or an uninteresting personality…

So it needs to start young to be fully developed by adulthood – I personally am skeptical about late-in-life car guys. It’s also the reason why some people are into specific brands/models – these always carry a special significance to them, whether it be family-related or a personal obsession, these things usually have their roots in a person’s childhood and possibly a specific event.

This, however, could all be wrong, and if your car passion started out very differently and has nothing to do with any of the above, feel free to share. Do use the comments box to tell us what draws you to like cars and want to stay up to date on all that’s new by browsing auto blogs and watching reviews? Is it the beautiful designs or the tech, or is it the sense of freedom associated with them?

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