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Leith Cars Blog

Millennials Won’t Have These Five Automotive Experiences

As one of the “older” millennials, I rest directly on the cusp of many generational differences. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family that believed in tradition, and as a result, I enjoyed – though it was not necessarily enjoyment then – some of the experiences that my peers did not. From purchasing a new Michael Jackson vinyl to watching the National Wrestling Alliance on a 20” television with a six-channel knob, there’s much I loved about my childhood.

Some of the more prominent changes that occurred as I grew up occurred in the automotive industry. There are many differences between vehicles today and those of yesteryear, so I haven’t lived through all of them; however, I selected five experiences that are now rendered obsolete by technology.

Flooding the Engine

None of my cars required a pump of the gas pedal to get the car moving, but I learned how to drive using my father’s car. I remember pressing the accelerator, then my dad cautioning me to not over-pump because I would flood the car.

If I were to make the mistake of flooding the engine, the car would have to sit for several minutes as the gas evaporated. Vehicles were most likely to flood when it was cold outside; my dad also spoke to me about vapor lock when it was hot outside, but I was fortunate enough to never live through that.

Yes, millennials, starting a car used to take more work than a simple turn of the k…. err… press of the button.

Air Conditioning

Cars that offer factory-installed air conditioning have become far more prevalent. In fact, between 1984 and today, standard A/C has risen from 30% to 99%. Yes, it’s true: at one point in American history, only one-third of vehicles offered that cool, crisp, summer-relieving glory of manufactured cold air.

Once licensed, the only car I had available to me until I saved enough money to purchase one was a 1969 Lincoln Continental. The only respite from the August sun were a few large crank windows (we’ll get to that next). During my senior year, I bought a 1992 Ford Tempo; it technically had air conditioning, even though I didn’t get to learn how wonderful it was … It never worked.

Crank Windows

95% of today’s vehicles come delivered with power windows. Most millennials will never know the overwhelming delight of slowly rolling a window up when “the bottom falls out,” as they say here in the South. Oh, and don’t forget about scratching the hard plastic interior with your watch; some of you reading this might never have even worn a watch thanks to the ease of reading time on your smartphone.

Don’t strain your pointer finger from holding down that button for too long.

$1.00 per Gallon Gas

It has been more than a decade since fueling stations consistently posted gasoline prices at fewer than $2.00 per gallon. When I first climbed behind the wheel as a licensed driver, standard gas cost $0.99 per gallon. Most of my friends could fill up for only $12.00; I, with my virtual panzer, had to pay a bit more – thanks 1969.

Imagine walking into a gas station to pre-pay with a $20 dollar bill, paying enough to fill up, buying a sandwich or two with a drink, and still walking out with change. If you’re not impressed, my dear millennial, I don’t know what will impress you.

Cassette Player

Millennials enjoy smartphone syncing, Bluetooth, satellite radio, infotainment screens, and so much more. Today’s 16-year old with a license would likely post a weeping selfie to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram if he or she had to drive a car with, god forbid, a cassette player.

Whether it is an incoherent warble or the tape spitting action of a cassette player in an automobile, there’s something charming about this now-long forgotten source of musical interludes.

This also begs the question as to how many millennials have even used a CD player…

If you are a millennial, is there an outdated technology that you’ve used? It doesn’t have to be in an automobile, though that would be our preference!