Are cars just machines used for getting from point A to point B, or are they more than that? Do they serve as status symbols within our society, or is society less vain than that and just view cars as a means of getting from one point to another? Were cars originally just a bunch of mechanical parts put together that have now assumed personalities and places in society that we would never have imagined in the past?
             Only recently, 5 days ago at the time of writing this in fact, did I receive my license. After many hours spent driving with various people -- parents, friends and a particularly bizarre driving instructor named Hans -- and two driving tests did I finally lay my hands on a piece of paper that says I am legally allowed to drive without anyone else in the car, should I choose. Albeit, I do not, as of yet at least, have my own car, leaving me no other option than to seek permission to use one of my parents cars. As I said, I have only had my license for 5 days, but so far my parents have been fairly generous with how much freedom and usage of the car I have. This may of course change in the future, but as it stands at the moment, the car is free for my own personal use whenever it is not in use by either of my parents.
             Has our view of cars changed within the past few decades? Could this change be attributed to the increase in styles, speeds, variations of cars? Within recent decades, in particular, cars have become status symbols. One can presume, correctly most of the time, who will be driving the car without even looking in the driver's seat -- some cars are almost exclusively reserved for the young -- sporty cars, small economic cars, car that have been modified -- whereas others are associated with parenthood, such as mini vans and larger sedans, and yet others being associated with the elderly, usually extremely comfortable, but highly uneconomical and exuberantly large sedans. Whereas this is not infallib...