Young people and Cadillacs

[Art Director]

I noticed in the recent Self Starter CLC Income Statement the over $20,000 drop in dues. Is this a reflection of the future? I guess only time will tell.

The CLC's membership base has been stable for several years, ranging between 7,100 to almost 7,300 members. The drop in dues is largely due to members changing their $50 membership level to the $35 one, which results in their copy of The Self-Starter to be delivered later in the month by the Postal Service. As Lars Kneller said in a recent President's Message, the CLC is one of few car clubs that has not lost members. Yes, some have passed away or have left the Club for various reasons, but the CLC attracts dozens of new members each month as attested by the list that appears on the outer wrap of The Self-Starter.

The Self-Starter is also available online, and access to it is a free upgrade for members who still have the $50 membership â€" all you have to do is contact the CLC Office to have your name added to the online list. Best of all, the CLC also has not raised dues in 10 years.

Tim

[Louis Smith]

The CLC's membership base has been stable for several years, ranging between 7,100 to almost 7,300 members. The drop in dues is largely due to members changing their $50 membership level to the $35 one, which results in their copy of The Self-Starter to be delivered later in the month by the Postal Service. As Lars Kneller said in a recent President's Message, the CLC is one of few car clubs that has not lost members. The Self-Starter is also available online, and access to it is a free upgrade for members who still have the $50 membership â€" all you have to do is contact the CLC Office to have your name added to the online list. Best of all, the CLC also has not raised dues in 10 years.

Tim

Not lost members?  Can we conclude that belonging to the club is good for your health, as it appears no one dies.

[cadillacmike68]

Technology seems to be of more interest to the youth today. The youth of today are more interested in texting on their cell phones to the point of substituting it for a date...who would have thought. My niece has done that.

I read an article recently about a big drop in the youth drivers license. This piggybacks to the lack of interest in cars as a right of passage to freedom. The youth sees technology as their right of passage in the form of cell phones and/or handheld computers.

Texting while crashing their parents' car! 

They don't drive because they haven't left home and still get their parents to drive them everywhere. 

The following is in error, since i misread the order of magnitude of the members by a factor of 10:

As for CLC membership, I joined in the summer of 1998 and have # 15823, which, I assume is issued in a sequential manner.  With membership now ~7,200 that and stable for a few years, that would mean some 4,700 new members in the 9 years after i joined. Pretty big jump considering from 1959-98 there were only some 1600 members. It then appears to have tapered off or plateaued. At least it's not going down.

This is of course assuming that member numbers are issued sequentially.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

As for CLC membership, I joined in the summer of 1998 and have # 15823, which, I assume is issued in a sequential manner.  With membership now ~7,200 that and stable for a few years, that would mean some 4,700 new members in the 9 years after i joined. Pretty big jump considering from 1959-98 there were only some 1600 members. It then appears to have tapered off or plateaued. At least it's not going down.

This is of course assuming that member numbers are issued sequentially.

Membership ID numbers are issued sequentially but keep in mind however, that when a member stops paying dues for whatever reason, that ID number is "retired" and will not be reissued to another individual. If a member allows his membership to expire and wishes to rejoin the CLC, a new membership ID is assigned; he still will not get his old ID number back.

Membership ID numbers are now approaching the 30,000 but the number of active members is only about 1/4 of that.

[Dan LeBlanc]

My stepson is 11 and this is us working on the engine block last night for the 61 Fleetwood:



We also have a 63 Impala that is all original except for the paint, water pump, alternator, and heater hoses.  He's very interested in the older cars and he likes them just the way they came off the assembly line.  I'm trying to teach him that it's important to preserve some examples of the cars just as they were as a historical reference.  I strongly believe it's what we teach them that determines their interest.

He was some proud of himself last night even though he was just cleaning crud out of bolt holes and painted a small area of the engine block.  We start assembling the engine in two weeks when more parts arrive, so he'll also be getting a lesson in how engines work.

[Big Apple Caddy]

Kids who turn 16 don't buy cars. They use their parents. So the bigger ticket items theory isn't the case. It is truly the lack of interest in driving which has been replaced with technology as their means of passage. Technology is allowing them to do the things that a car did for us.

Sometimes parents will buy a car for their kids or help them buy one, pay for insurance, etc. and when their parents may be struggling in a very difficult economy (arguably worst since the great depression) the kids may not be able to appreciate the joy or hope of car ownership until the economy turns around and their parents, other family members like older siblings, etc. are doing better.

Technology can be playing a role too but a very bad economy with ongoing uncertainties is not the time to be trying to assess interest or interest changes.  Unfortunately, many families have had to cut back and young people are seeing and/or living this right now.

[62 driver]

My son was 20 when he got his 61 Cadillac. As a kid I had a lot of american cars. Bought, sold or traded every 6 months and always had 2 cars till I was 28. Got married and started to buy newer cars with no work needed. All the time my son was growing up we never owned a car less the 6 years old. I loved it when he would bring over his Cadillac to work on it.  I had to think hard how to rebuild a carb, set the dwell and fix a charging problem. I like his car and helping him working on it I bought my own to fix. He will never sell his Cadillac and now thing about turning down a new job because he can't take his car with him.   
Dave

[Louis Smith]

Kids who turn 16 don't buy cars. They use their parents. So the bigger ticket items theory isn't the case. It is truly the lack of interest in driving which has been replaced with technology as their means of passage. Technology is allowing them to do the things that a car did for us.

I think we can all agree that, for whatever reason, ownership of an automobile, for the young of today, isn't as important as it was for us 30-40-50 years ago.  If there isn't any interest today, then I think it follows that the interest in old/classic/antique cars will be very limited.

[Louis Smith]

My stepson is 11 and this is us working on the engine block last night for the 61 Fleetwood:



We also have a 63 Impala that is all original except for the paint, water pump, alternator, and heater hoses.  He's very interested in the older cars and he likes them just the way they came off the assembly line.  I'm trying to teach him that it's important to preserve some examples of the cars just as they were as a historical reference.  I strongly believe it's what we teach them that determines their interest.

He was some proud of himself last night even though he was just cleaning crud out of bolt holes and painted a small area of the engine block.  We start assembling the engine in two weeks when more parts arrive, so he'll also be getting a lesson in how engines work.

Great picture and story.  I wonder how many other fathers of today, would take the time to get their sons and daughters involved in restoring cars.  In my limited observations of the changing scene, it doesn't appear all that many.  It seems to me, that children that age, somewhat want to distant themselves from their parents, because they have their own interests.

[Big Apple Caddy]

I think we can all agree that, for whatever reason, ownership of an automobile, for the young of today, isn't as important as it was for us 30-40-50 years ago.  If there isn't any interest today, then I think it follows that the interest in old/classic/antique cars will be very limited.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, approximately 70% of 16-24 y/o had driver’s licenses 50 years ago (1963) vs. about 67% in 2011.

Yes, interests have shifted in areas like types of cars (e.g. imports vs. domestics), aspects of cars, and how they express these interests (online vs. car shows), etc.

When the economy turns around, especially for younger people, it will be interesting to see how stats may change.

[Greg Powers]

High school is a great time to interest young people in Cadillacs of yesteryear. Proms, senior photo shots, parades, and homecoming. My niece used my cars for a senior photo shoot. 

[Louis Smith]

According to the Federal Highway Administration, approximately 70% of 16-24 y/o had driver’s licenses 50 years ago (1963) vs. about 67% in 2011.

Yes, interests have shifted in areas like types of cars (e.g. imports vs. domestics), aspects of cars, and how they express these interests (online vs. car shows), etc.

When the economy turns around, especially for younger people, it will be interesting to see how stats may change.

I can agree with that, in fact I was going to make a reply addressing the last part of your reply.  I would think there will always be some sort of interest in cars, by young people.  I don't think the economy per se, is that much of a factor.  Young people still have money, but their priorities are different then ours were many years ago.  It seems many want as much technology as possible, i.e. I-phones, sound systems etc.  also tattoos, cigarettes etc.  When this present generation finally begin to see signs of success, how many will get involved in the "old" car hobby?  I might even go one step further and state how many will use Cadillac as their marquee of choice?  I fear not many, due to Cadillacs decline in popularity starting in the mid 80's, when Cadillac started to lose the luxury market in sales.

[cadillacmike68]

Membership ID numbers are issued sequentially but keep in mind however, that when a member stops paying dues for whatever reason, that ID number is "retired" and will not be reissued to another individual. If a member allows his membership to expire and wishes to rejoin the CLC, a new membership ID is assigned; he still will not get his old ID number back.

Membership ID numbers are now approaching the 30,000 but the number of active members is only about 1/4 of that.

I just realized that my dyslexia caused me to misread the ID numbers by a factor of 10!, so feel free to disregard whatever is stated earlier WRT membership growth.

[Louis Smith]

High school is a great time to interest young people in Cadillacs of yesteryear. Proms, senior photo shots, parades, and homecoming. My niece used my cars for a senior photo shoot.

Agreed, but I don't think the interest will go past going to prom in a "big old car".  Most new cars have more standard equipment then the most optioned out Cadillac of the past.

[Muzza427]

I fell in love with Cadillacs when I was 14 years old (in 1964) working (sweeping floors) in a Left to Right hand drive conversion shop in Sydney Australia. My boss owned a white 1961 CDV and I had never seen anything so wonderful as that. It took me a lifetime to get to own one, but was never able to achieve that until I was 58 years young. Now at 62, am the proud oner of 2, a 60 CDV and a 66 Fleetwood Brougham.  It has been a long journey to get here, but worth the wait. I cherish the marque and have done all my life.
My pride and joys on the link below
https://sites.google.com/site/murrayscadillacpage/

Cheers to all our International friends
Murray Bollen #26630

[R Schroeder]

Beautiful cars Murray.
Roy

[Muzza427]

Thank you Roy.
It's a labour of love to get them, and keep them reasonably nice. The yellow 60 CDV  (not original colour) is my daily driver. I believe they should be Driven not Hidden, but that's a personal choice. Luckily I have an old skool mechanic close by who can fix anything, and a retired transmission specialist who knows what a "Jetaway" and TH400 transmission is.

Best Regards

Murray #26630
Mandurah,
West Australia

[LeRoy DeVol]

I own a 1947 Cadillac 62 sedan and every place i go people surround me & my car to appreciate the look,white wall tires, green paint job, & nice soft cloth interior. The thing that suprices me is about half of the people are under the age of 20!! My first Cadillac was 1947 Fleetwood Cadillac in 1954 at the age of 18 that was owned by " Ky Luke " who was Charley Chans #1 son in the movies of the day. Also he was the kung  Fu master in the TV show with David Caradeen. I have owned 12 vintage Cads over the years since then.

Lee DeVol

[Louis Smith]

I own a 1947 Cadillac 62 sedan and every place i go people surround me & my car to appreciate the look,white wall tires, green paint job, & nice soft cloth interior. The thing that suprices me is about half of the people are under the age of 20!! My first Cadillac was 1947 Fleetwood Cadillac in 1954 at the age of 18 that was owned by " Ky Luke " who was Charley Chans #1 son in the movies of the day. Also he was the kung  Fu master in the TV show with David Caradeen. I have owned 12 vintage Cads over the years since then.

Lee DeVol

All these stories concerning the appreciation of older cars, while being heart warming, does not mean that this interest and appreciation will be enough to encourage these young people to spend the money to get involved in the hobby of restoring and maintaining older cars?  Why do I think this?  Unlike young people of today, that are seeing these cars mainly in car shows, parades etc, those of us in the hobby in general and specifically the CLC are mainly that remember when most of these cars were new, and saw them everyday in the streets and highways.  In other words, they are our link to the past, not so with younger people.


Why should you get involved with the Take a Kid to a Car Show program? Whether you produce a high profile extravaganza, a weekly cruise at the local shopping center or an annual charity show n shine, one thing is common; you have a passion for preserving and experiencing our automotive heritage. If we want to ensure that our passion is carried on to future generations we must involve our youth.

[Blade]

My first Cadillac was a 1973 Coupe deVille in yellow/white roof with yellow-gold leather, just shy of my 17th birthday in 1981. It was a near mint original. Everybody in school called it "the banana boat". 

My second car ever and first Caddy was a '73 Sedan DeVille, gold with brown top. Loved the 472 in it. I was 20 when it was retired as a family car and I asked if I could keep it. Drove it through college (when I had money for gas) then sold it.

My all time dream was a '59 since I was 19. Today (about 20 years later) all I have to do is go out to the garage and look at it .. ... shhh ... I still do ... just to look at it ...   

I agree the 61/62 years seem to be the most popular with the younger generations today. Most of them are customized, low riders with BIG wheels though.