What Do People Really Think of Us?

[hanaylor]

How do you think outsiders see the automotive industry? What about the aftermarket side of it (if they even know what “aftermarket” means)? By outsiders I simply mean those individuals who don’t have an interest in vehicles and the parts it takes to make them run. Because I was an outsider, let me just tell you – they have no idea what goes on under the hood of a car or the passionate nature of car lovers. I came to work in the performance aftermarket almost four years ago and the only thing I knew about cars was that I drove one and I could put gas in it. Not very promising for someone going to work in advertising for a performance parts manufacturer. Lucky for me, my new bosses thought I could bring a unique perspective to the table – that of someone who thought like an outsider and wasn’t biased toward the products we made.

So here I came with my unique perspective – I’ve seen it from both sides now – life before cars and after. Oh, and did I mention that I’m female? Not to knock females because I have met some truly amazing ones in this industry that could put most men to shame with their knowledge and driving abilities. I’m just saying that I had a couple of things working against me, one being that men make up the large part of the enthusiast group. People don’t usually become enthusiasts later in their lives – most true performance/automotive buffs are introduced to cars, racing and performance during their childhood and grow up around it and other car related things. I am one of the oddballs that came to this appreciation for the automotive industry as an adult. I didn’t grow up around cars and when I came to work for an automotive performance parts manufacturer in my late 20s, I couldn’t tell you one single part of an engine or its function. To put it bluntly, cars and anything about them bored me silly. So why the change of heart?

My first day at my new job, I specifically remember that I said the word “chassis” incorrectly. I remember my embarrassment (I still cringe when I think about it) when someone (very kindly) told me the correct pronunciation, but from that point on, it was my goal to make people think I’d always been around. About six weeks later, I made my first circuit with the Hot Rod Power Tour. I was only going for two days, but at the end of my second day, I begged to stay and finish the week out. I was just overwhelmed with all of the cars and people who would willingly sacrifice a week of vacation to drive across the country to show them off. I had to know what made them tick.

Now, four years later, I get it. I'm a Power Tour veteran (I've made the long haul twice and will probably make #3 this year) and I get why people are passionate about their vehicles. I see how they’re so proud that they carry pictures of all of their cars in their wallets like they would carry pictures of their children. I’ve seen people give up every last dime they have just to put the best new part on their car. I’ve seen people give up every last minute of their free time to work on race cars in their garage and spend all weekend racing it, sometimes only to wreck, not make the race, and have to go home and start all over again. I’ve seen cars worth more money than houses (or more money than I will see in a lifetime). And while I’ll never be a racer or someone who works on my own car, I still appreciate it and the nature of the people who love it. It’s nice to see those people who are so passionate about their hobbies that they’ve made it their life. How many industries can say that about their customers? Not many that I know – and I wouldn’t trade it.

Hailey Naylor
Marketing/Media Coordinator
COMP Performance Group™

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[hgupta]

Its fantastic that you were willing to try a job in an industry that you were unfamiliar with! The one thing that all us automtive enthusiasts have in common is that we are willing to take risks! Whether it means taking apart a carburator for the first time, or racing a car that we love, or even tackling a new job... we're all risk takers and appreciate others who are also like us. Glad to hear that you rolled up your sleeves and took the job on!

The other thing that most people realize about automotive enthusiasts is that we are all intelligent, and are not the same as an oil change guy. To comprehend the inner workings of an engine clearly takes brains, and the old idea of an illiterate grease monkey is out the window. Too much precision is required for todays high performance vehicles...its not the stuff that you can just pick up in shop class.

By the way, keep the posts coming!


Hemant Gupta

[Jason Reiss]

Hailey -

I must admit that most 'outsiders', at least the ones I come in contact with, are completely clueless about what drives this industry [pun not intended]. It's difficult to even start a conversation about the automobile with an outsider, regardless of whether it's one that's been modified or is still completely stock. It's even more difficult when you take someone that only reads, say, Car and Driver or Motor Trend, and try to explain to them that not everything is about skidpads and 0-60-0 times on stock vehicles.

As my father, a non-gearhead, once told me - to some people, a car is just another appliance like a refrigerator. People expect to get in, turn the key, and go where they want to go. The thought to modify it to better suit their taste never comes to them. After all, when was the last time you could buy a better agitator for your washing machine?

I try very hard to get the people in my life that aren't gearheads interested in cars. I've always been the go-to guy out of my friend circle that people come to when they are having car troubles, but rarely do they ever take that next step into becoming enthusiasts. And they are all still wondering when I'm going to 'grow up', yet I'm the one they turn to because they refuse to have a better understanding of the second-most-expensive purchase they likely will ever make, the first being a home. It amazes me.

I've been involved in the sport of drag racing since I bought my very first car, an '82 Mustang GT. I've been to the dragstrip thousands of times, yet my parents had never been to a drag race until last year. My mother finally 'got it'. Not necessarily understood it, but she understood why it was so important to me.

I think unless an individual carries a deep interest in mechanical things, it's hard to get them interested in modifying their automobile...unless it's audio equipment.

Jason