Star Wars plays a big part in many lives. Toddlers to twenty-somethings to grandpas all know about it, have watched at least one of the movies, or played with a Storm Trooper action figure.
I babysat a little boy across the street who loved Star Wars AND Storm Troopers. Hours of battles and “may the Force be with you” filled my evenings and weekends with little Kelly. Even I will admit that Chewbacca and Han Solo action figures were a refreshing change from my brothers well-worn tri-color variety found on the bottom of the closet floor. And let’s not forget the girl, Princess Leia. Girls need a hero too right?
So what does all this have to do with the auto industry?
As I sat on Saturday morning drinking my coffee, I traded the news for “The Force Awakens”. It’s been awhile since I caught a Star Wars episode. There are a few new characters that I don’t recognize. Finn, Rey, and Kylo Ren are all new. What happened to R2D2? Replaced with BB-8. Still…the concept is the same…good vs. evil…align with the “resistance”, long live the “Republic”. Group think and control be gone!
As the show progressed, here comes the ship I recognize…no, not the Death Star, but the ever loved Millennium Falcon. Found in a far-away galaxy’s junk pile and vacant for years Rey, Finn and BB-8 steal it from a shady character who might just resemble a mini Jabba the Hutt of chapters past. Somehow Rey figures out how to fly it and Finn masters the ancient guns to narrowly escape being captured. The young used their current day skills to decipher clues from a bygone era to advance the agenda at hand.
I am thrilled as the next few scenes lead to the return of Han Solo and Chewbacca aboard the Falcon. They are thrilled to have their old friend back. One man’s trash is another’s treasure. Sound familiar? The multi-generational gathering move forward together on a ship from the past to change the future. Looked like collaboration to me.
Stick with me…
If you’ve caught few episodes on the MotorTrend channel or app recently one can tell that reviving cars of the past has never lost its charm. The likes of Dave Kindig and Chip Foose take a concept and “overhaul” it into a car lover’s dream.
Carroll Shelby’s group, Richard Petty and Vaughn Gittin, Jr. take modern day muscle and customize them into rockets that launch off the line.
SEMA forms the public framework for after-market add-ons for just about any year automobile. Crossing over from generation to generation is a trend that never goes out of style. It’s the lifeline of the auto industry. It’s why “Henry Ford” is still a household name.
Bridging the gap between age groups is of utmost importance in today’s world of autos. The talk of autonomous, AI (artificial intelligence) and electric propulsion, as I state in my blog’s sidebar, has turned into action. Advancing technology and all that it embraces is number one on every manufacturer’s to-do list. The way they approach it, though unique to each brand, will be what launches us into the future of what autos might be, can be, should be, will be.
So whether you’re a Star Wars fan or not, at least one can see the parallels. We all need to work with each other to advance the industry into a realm that serves the purposes of every sector. Each generation has something to contribute whether it be a thought, word or deed.
Darth Vader and his prodigy might be able to read minds, but if you know anything about Star Wars, they never actually win.
Lets all keep an open mind about what the future holds in the industry, we just may surprise ourselves with what we can achieve.
May the Force be with you.
Oh, and R2D2 comes back with a map to save the future of the “Republic”.
Work on a map of your own. You never know, it just might be an essential piece of the puzzle known to most as the “future”.
julesonwheelz
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