I once read that when a car enthusiast explains their love of cars to a “normal” person, it sounds the same as someone who really loved washing machines explaining their passion. If you envision someone going on about the perfect vintage Maytag, it does seem a touch tedious.
But that’s not really fair, is it? A washing machine doesn’t harness the power of explosions to take you to triple digit speeds. It doesn’t take you around corners at mind-bending G-forces. A washing machine’s design hasn’t been painstakingly molded from clay by a group of talented designers and put through a wind tunnel to make it as aerodynamic as possible. Most importantly, a washing machine doesn’t give you the freedom to go wherever the hell you want to go.
But don’t just take it from me, a writer in his twenties who spends 10 hours a day behind a desk, and is forced to get home at night via a series of tubes in the ground. I spoke with five professionals — a photographer, a journalist, a designer of watches inspired by cars, a proprietor of fast cars and the Stig (yes, that Stig) — who have made a living rooted in a passion for cars and driving. And, when I asked them what exactly it is that makes them love the damn things so much, this is what they had to say.
Ben Collins, 41
Occupation: “I’m harder to pin down these days because I’m doing a blend of racing, stunt driving for movies, book writing and TV presenting, but on a recent phone call about an upcoming job, the guy hiring me referred to me as a “wheel man.” I think that’s fairly apt because when I think “wheel man” it reminds me of Fred Flintstone pedaling his chariot as fast as his feet could make it go, which just about sums me up.”
Cars: 1998 Land Rover “Wolf” Defender, 4WD VW Transporter
Why He Loves Cars: “I love driving more than I love cars. I love the pure freedom you get when you disconnect from the confines of the human body and get to explore the speeds and sensations that you can only experience in a car. When a car gives you an unfiltered connection to that experience and really talks to you, it bends perfectly to your will so that you become almost unaware that you’re driving a car — and that’s when I fall in love with it.”
