Cars are by no means a rare occurrence in a modern society. For most people, cars are just a machine to get from point A to point B without thinking more about it. When something breaks, they take it to a shop to get repaired. When they need new tires, they go to a tire shop. A majority of car owners aren’t going to know the ends and outs of their car. Let alone a cars model outside of it being a Ford, Toyoda, Dodge and so on. However, there is a group of people who think of their cars much differently than the normal car owner. A type of person who can look at a car and know exactly what’s inside it, who made it, what year and how much it costs. This doesn’t even include how much knowledge they have on how the inside of their car works and knows how to fix something if something arises. A car to them is also more than just a tool to get from point A to point B. It’s something to be proud of and show off to their other car loving fans at car meets and events. Yet, many of the activities these cars owners once enjoyed have been effected because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thankfully, the Covid-19 virus hasn’t put a damper on the entirety of the hobby. Mainly only the social components have been largely affected due to safety concerns. Many aspects of the car enjoyment hobby can be enjoyed without the need for any social interactions. Working on the vehicle requires no others around and neither does going on a Sunday drive to soak in the views of the local area. As Austin Simpson puts it, “Sometimes, I want to drive without a location in mind. I’ll just drive until I feel ready to go home.” This isn’t to say that car owners don’t miss the social interactions that can come with car ownership. One of the draws of car ownership is being able to meet with others of similar interest to show off, compare each other’s vehicles, and to discuss their favorite hobby with like minded individuals that are interested in sharing their car knowledge with others. These meets tend to be local, creating a sense of community and friendship as these car owners meet up on multiple occasions to form bonds over the hobby in which they enjoy.
Parking lots like these are where car enthusiasts meet up to socialize and show off their cars to people with similar passions. Taken By: Trevor Feibelman 
During the day, the lot is used for daily businesses. At night, is when all the car enthusiasts show up. By: Trevor Feibelman 
But due to Covid-19 and the police pressure, the car meet that used to meet in this parking lot has long since been cancelled. What used to be a thriving community of car lovers at night has been reduced to an empty lot waiting for the next business day. Taken By: Trevor Feibelman 
During this photoshoot, Austin is performing routine maintenance on his car he would regularly take to the local car shows. Taken By: Trevor Feibelman 
Austin Simpson of Canyon Lake, TX learned to work on cars at a young age. Taken By: Trevor Feibelman 
Austin Simpson used to be a regularly at the local car meet before it all got shut down. He claims to regularly keep in contact with all his old friends even if they can no longer meet. Taken by: Trevor Feibelman 
Austin isn’t the only one that Covid-19 is affecting. Him and many others in the local area are starting to miss the car meets they all used to attend. Taken By: Trevor Feibelman 
Unlike most cars, Austin’s car holds it’s engine in the back of the car. He says that people seem to be interested in that fact at car meets and how quiet the car can be when it is revved up. Taken By: Trevor Feibelman 
Another aspect that needs to be taken into consideration is how covid-19 has affected those in the automotive industry. Not only talking about actual car production like car production delays, but the people who are working in the local shops changing tires, doing oil changes, getting cars registers, and other tune up related tasks that many people who are not car enthusiasts know how to do themselves. Mason Malloy has been working in a local car shop for about three years in total. According to Mason, “Well for the first couple months it really boomed, business did anyway. After that it dirndled back to normal.” This goes to show that even when the country is recommending stay at home orders and to not travel, the need for car maintenance seems to have not died with it. Which isn’t surprising. Essential workers still are going to need transport to their jobs, there are going to be people who are not scared or simply do not care about the pandemic that are still attempting to travel for one reason or another.
For many people, cars are a machine that helps them get from point a to point b. However, when looking at the bigger picture. It can be seen that there is more to cars and the people that drive them then meets the eyes. Cars can be enjoyed and be used by anyone that has a legal drivers license. Even in the middle of a pandemic, cars will still be enjoyed and be required by many people for enjoyment, work, or transportation.
