Cars Are Fashion, Express Yourself
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Why are we so precious with our vehicles? Maybe we add a tiny little flare hanging from the rearview mirror or put a nice cushion on the seat, but too many cars on the road remain basic, cruising along in their factory color, adorned with a few bruises and bumps, a bumper sticker here a transponder there.
It’s commonly understood that the clothes we wear can impact our emotions and those around us. I believe it’s past time to extend the impact of fashion to our vehicles. Cars are fashion objects. If we self-identify as fashionable people, our cars should reflect that too.
Are you the type who goes for a certain age or model in lieu of getting wild with the paint or sticker job? Do you accessorize with subtle touches to the roof rack and the keychain? How about some funky rims? Great! Now let’s push the boundaries a little, our streets are boring, we can change that.
The world of creativity in cars is expansive, especially when we leave the United States. From the art of Transformer style big rigs in Japan to intricately detailed Indian trucks to Central American ‘chicken’ school busses carrying passengers long distances through rough roads, the vehicle is a tool for transformation, for movement and change.
You’re probably wondering what customizing your car would do to its resale value… There’s plenty of ways to think about that depending on how you make it yours. Some changes are easier to remove than others, some add value and make the vehicle even more desirable to a future buyer.
As an artist who paints cars myself, I have first hand experience with people buying my painted cars explicitly because they are painted in a special way. Like a fashionable, one-of-a-kind vintage piece, the value of a unique vehicle will only rise as it ages.
