Our Cars, Ourselves

I’m looking at a commercial for some male enhancement product, and I notice that the boomer-aged guy is driving a vintage Mustang convertible. I immediately forget about the program I was watching and begin wistfully thinking about mustang convertibles.

Like most people of any age, the memory of our first car and the freedom it gave us is indelibly imprinted on our personal history. I think back to the agony of asking to use the family car, and all the specious reasons that I should have it for the night I would lay on my parents. They of course had their own reasons why I needed to spend a night at home, and not put their car and its teenaged contents in jeopardy.

Fortunately, I had an older brother who sympathized with my plight, and agreed to finance my first car. Despite his objections and desire that I buy something sensible, I chose a bronze 1966 Mustang convertible with a custom interior. It was thrilling beyond belief. I would put the top down and drive with the Michigan summer breeze and its aromas surrounding me. I felt like the luckiest, unencumbered girl in the world.

Does any of this trigger a brain synapse and beautiful memory for you? There is nothing like that first time feeling of  “This is my car and I can go anywhere I choose!”

My friend Al, age 57, bought his first car at age 16. He was a self-confessed penny pincher who saved all his allowance and grandparents’ gifts and wages from his after-school job to pay cash for a 1971 Gremlin X. He nostalgically tells me that it was black with gold stripes and was a real beauty. He drove it for 6 years, sold it and lost his love affair with cars for a while. Later in life, when he could afford it, he chose a Lincoln Continental–his lifelong desire for a luxury car. He says he got over it – worrying about it and where to park it etc, and now happily drives a Ford Edge.

After all the mechanical problems with my Mustang, I transitioned to a reasonable Oldsmobile, and then…a 1969 Corvette. Yes, it wasn’t yet out of my blood. After the mechanical torment, the next car was a responsible Buick Regal, which I drove for many years and then…bought my first new car, a 1982 Black Firebird with a hatchback. Oh, I was proud of that car! It was the first one anyone in Detroit had seen.

As my income escalated, I fell under the spell of the foreign car cache. At the time, there was a thing called the European Delivery Program in which one could save lots of money by going to Munich and purchasing a BMW there. Supposedly, this was to generate German tourism as well as sell cars. So, I did it, and bought a beautiful new red 318 I just so I could prove that I could do it I think. I ended up selling it a year later for what I bought it for. Just an adventure I guess.

Next was a beautiful burgundy BMW convertible with a brown top that my significant other purchased for me for my 40^th birthday. It was special, and never left me stranded or got me a speeding ticked in the 18 years I owned it. I was tearful when it was towed away with a worn out engine. I wanted to keep it until I was 60.

So, now my General Motors family is thrilled that I am driving a Buick LeSabre. I confess that this is probably the first time in life that I am comfortable driving a sensible car. Yes, it has 4 doors and has no snob appeal or second looks ever. Thing is, I love it. Those 4 doors and big back seat make my life so convenient. Then, there’s the trunk. It’s the hugest thing I’ve ever seen. Luggage for a 3 month trip would fit in there.

Turns out that to my disappointment, I am not with the boomer crowd here.

According to a new study by TrueCar.com, boomers are driving their dream cars.

The study, which reviewed the purchasing habits of more than 200,000 car buyers, determined that the top brands purchased by Baby Boomers are premium automakers known for high-end appointments, luxury and flashy appeal. First on the list of popular Baby Boomer brands is Mercedes-Benz, which sells 56 percent of its vehicles to Baby Boomers. Mercedes is closely followed by Jaguar and Porsche. Other high-end brands preferred by Baby Boomers include BMW, Lexus and Volvo.

"Many Baby Boomers are experiencing another phase in their life," said Jesse Toprak, TrueCar.com's vice president of trends and analysis. "The nest is empty and because they have reached a heightened income level giving them both time and financial freedom, they chose vehicles that provide them with a luxurious, safe feel and a youthful, sporty drive."

I have found evidence right here that this is …true. My friend Sharon, 63, decided it was time to be good to herself after retiring and receiving an inheritance. She purchased a magnificent, (her words) red Lexus RX400. Her strategy: “I might not look good a few years from now, but my car will.”

Boomers Left Behind

I can’t figure out what happened. For most of our lives we baby boomers ruled. Merchandising catered to us and gave us great toys in the early years. American Bandstand, record companies and clothing manufacturers gave us lots of retail floor space. Then there were all sorts of great yuppie items as we came of age. Our demographic propelled the American marketplace.

I don’t know when or how it happened, but now I feel that we’ve just been pushed off the page. So much of what I see in stores, television and print media is largely youth oriented. I guess it feels like I – or we have been left behind. There are 76.4 million of us. We’re still here and we still have some money to spend, and we want to do work with a purpose.

I’m thinking of my friend Lily. She speaks 5 languages, has a 4-year degree and an amazing professional resume of work in tour directing and urban planning. She can’t find a job. We know that age discrimination is illegal, but so what? There’s no way to overcome a prejudice that an interviewer will have when he/she looks at a 60ish person and makes negative conclusions about them.

There is much documentation that older workers are dependable, ethical and hard working. I can speak for myself and say that I am much more dedicated to my work now than when I was in my twenties. My personal life ruled back then, and work was just a necessary ingredient for my next purchase or trip. Because of this, I try very hard not to be judgmental of the twenty-somethings in my day job workplace. Some of them spend a great percentage of their shift attached to their phones constantly checking texts.

I ask myself if I would have been text addicted when I was young. Back then it was finding a pay phone at my intermediate stops when I was flying. I would keep in touch with everyone that was dear to me by means of my phone card. The charges were pretty large, but absolutely necessary to my lifestyle as I look back on it. So, yes, I probably would have been texting like crazy.

Now, back to my friend Lily. She is struggling to find affordable housing in a place that offers stimulation and like-minded neighbors. I have the feeling that her situation is emblematic of many people in our age range.

According to USA Today, experts say that in some ways, we need to begin remaking America to meet the challenges of future generations. They quote demographer William Frey who says “baby boomers are driving the move to stay in their hometowns and homes – rather than flocking to traditional retirement meccas…as many of their grandparents and parents did.” But evidently, cities and the culture aren’t preparing for the large numbers of us who are going to have free time and some spendable income and wish to remain productive and engaged.

So, Lily who previously lived in the San Francisco Bay area, moved here hoping to find meaningful work and affordable living. She’s been here nearly two years, and has found neither.  So, she could have been in that USA Today article as an example of the array of needs our generation now has.

The article gave us a new term which I’m not sure I’m yet behind – or  “down with” as some younger folks would say. It seems that the Brookings Institution labeled the nation’s fastest-growing percentage of us aged 55-64 as “pre-seniors.”

So, I am a pre-senior, and I guess when I’m eligible for Medicare I will officially be a senior citizen. Man, do I have mixed feelings about that. The need for health care right now is an issue for me and a few more of my boomer friends. We’re looking forward to Medicare and the relief that will bring on one hand – but the label “senior” doesn’t hold the appeal that it did in high school.

So, I’ve decided that for the rest of my life, the only label I will wear – and wear proudly is “Baby Boomer.”