Who’s Driving?

Last November, in this space, I addressed the hot button issue of where tomorrow’s enthusiasts and collectors will come from. In it, I thought I did a reasonable job of allaying the fears that as we age and eventually pass on, a new generation of enthusiasts would, in fact, step up to take over stewardship of the great cars that we all now value—and I do still, truly believe this. The part that I didn’t really factor in was the fact that while this new generation will collect and preserve our cherished steeds, none of them will apparently be capable of driving them.

I’ve come to this grim conclusion based on my eldest daughter just turning 16. She was eligible to receive her learner’s permit a half a year ago and, at the time, seemed “reasonably” enthusiastic about getting behind the wheel. However, in the ensuing six months, whether due to automotive apathy or her many school commitments, she’s made almost no progress in getting her permit…this despite the fact that she is now also eligible to get her full license. This is a tough one for me to get my head around. Not only was I camped out at the DMV weeks before I was eligible to receive my lerner’s permit, but by that time I had, in fact, already been driving for almost 10 years!