The Autopian is nominally a website about cars. I mean, “Auto” is right there in its name. But we love all kinds of vehicles that make the world move, from semi-tractors and cargo ships to planes, trains, motorcycles, and bicycles. What vehicles do you love that aren’t cars?
My primary love has always been cars. I still trace the beginning of my enthusiasm to when my uncle gave me a Pontiac Firebird Matchbox car back when I was a toddler. If you’ve read my work, you know that I can find good in any car, from the Chrysler Pacifica crossover to even the Chevrolet Aveo. With exceptions, I’m one of those people who believe that there’s no such thing as a truly terrible car.
Yet, while my life has largely revolved around cars, they’re hardly the only form of transportation that I’ve been obsessed with. Ever since I was a kid, I have loved planes, ships, and trains. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched James Cameron’s Titanic. When I was a kid, my favorite scenes were before the ship hit the iceberg, and the camera sometimes panned around the majestic vessel. It’s also why I adored the opening scene of the 2006 version of Poseidon.
Big ships still capture my imagination today, and one of my bucket list items is to take a ride aboard a cargo ship. Admittedly, my love of big ships is why I bought one of the lamps that was aboard the SS United States.
My love of heavy machinery is why I also frequently visit the Illinois Railway Museum, even though I’ve now been there about a million times. As a kid, I loved watching Metra trains thunder out of the Fox Lake, Illinois station. When I started going to the Chicago Auto Show as a teenager, I always took a Metra train to Chicago just for the fun of it. I still do, actually.
When I was a teenager with infinite time, I also used to go to a park next what was a Wisconsin Central line that snaked through northern Illinois, and I just watched trains roll by. Today, that line is run by Canadian National, and once I spotted a freight train that had an incredible line of eight locomotives leading an absolute monster down the rails.
If I had to assign a vehicular love that’s second to cars, it would certainly be aviation. I was a kid when I learned that the Boeing 747 existed, and that changed everything for me. In my eyes, the 747 was like an ocean liner, but one that had glistening paint and flew through the sky at 600 mph.
Then, I discovered that all sorts of aircraft are wonderful, from the slick and sporty-looking Canadair Regional Jet line to the hot rod Boeing 757 and all points in between. As a teenager, I remember watching the film 2012 and absolutely adoring the movie’s “Antonov 500.” I was blown away that the real-life Antonov An-225 was somehow even cooler than the fake movie version. I had made it a dream to get a ride in the Mriya, somehow. Sadly, that one might be on hold for quite a while.
Now, as you’re soon about to read, I’m once again working to satisfy my childhood dream of becoming a pilot. How about you? What vehicles do you love that aren’t cars?
Top graphic image: ERCO
There’s that Ercoupe from Oshkosh again. Love that thing. I’m a big fan of early commercial planes… Ford and Fokker Trimotors, DC-3’s, Constellations, etc. I think it goes back to growing up in Southwest Florida when Collier County Mosquito Control would use DC-3/C47s at low altitude to spray for mosquitoes. Whenever I heard the engines at, like, 6am I’d wake up and rush to the window to watch them fly over at about 100 feet.
Oh, that’s an easy one – Big Sailboats (AKA Yachts). Zipping along quietly while lounging with friends, enjoying a cocktail and the occasional spray of water. Now, yacht ownership is clearly a rich-folks game (it has been described as standing in the shower while you flush money down the toilet), but chartering one for a week with a captain in some beautiful part of the world is totally affordable. It’s not cheap, but once you subtract all the hotel rooms, rental cars, restaurant meals, etc that you don’t need it suddenly makes sense. Plus, every day you arrive in a new beautiful port surrounded by the aforementioned rich-folks. Give it a try! I recommend Croatia (perhaps surprisingly – check it out).
Remote control planes! I’ve got a bunch. Some are small backyard flyers while others are 100 mph winged missiles. Most fall in between. They’re all enjoyable.
I, too, am a sucker for airplanes. I always appreciated them, but grew to love them when working at an Experimental Flight Test organization. They were kind enough to let me take the reins of a Cirrus SR22T and Beechcraft King Air 200 and my life was changed. Someday, I hope to get my pilots license.
PS, thanks to the Autopian for introducing me to SkyCards… it’s making my obsession somehow worse.
My favorite non-car vehicles are aircraft. I get really enthusiastic telling people about them. I have a hard time picking just one, but gun to my head I’d say the Cri Cri. But really you could throw a dart at the entire Zenair line and I could make an argument for whatever you hit.
Steam powered anything (omitting the cars from this answer ONLY). Things from the age of Steam have always fascinated me. I especially like steam traction engines/tractors – the more ridiculous and huge the better!
There’s just something evocative about steam power. The way it breathes and snorts like a living thing. The way it’s 100% analog – you are the ECU. The way it demands you respect it for its power and danger. And for the ADHD like me so many moving parts make my brain go brrrr
I loves me a good flyin’ machine. whether fixed wing or whirlybird.
I was in the Air Cadets as a teen and came REALLY close to becoming an aircraft mechanic. I opted for wheeled cargo carriers instead.
Since I’m apparently allergic to having any money, in addition to cars I’m a boat guy. I grew up wakeboarding and water skiing. Now I have a 90s ski boat that has been outfitted for wakeboarding that sees action every free weekend I have in the summer months.
A10 Warthog, A4 Skyraider, FW190, Sturmovik
Airport tugs
Lifeboats
The idea of a self-contained, somewhat self-sufficient vehicle has always held a strange appeal to me: I dig RVs and campers, though I’ve never had one and probably never will (well, I did own an old air-cooled VW pop-top campervan once, and drove all around the country with it one summer). Submarines are also fascinating to me, what with making their own air and potable water for their crew, as well as feeding the crew from a tiny kitchen. The 5,000+ population supported by the small cities that are nuclear powered aircraft carriers also fascinate.
I watch a ton of Youtube videos about both of these things, as well as planes, ships, spacecraft, etc… like any good middle-aged guy should. 😉
The A-10 Warthog has always been my favorite military plane: function over form to such an extent that its brutal lack of grace becomes beautiful in its own right. If I were famous/wealthy enough, I’d try to get a ride in one (I think there are a few two-seat training versions, but am not certain).
One of my last bases was an A-10 base. They really are the last of the barnstormers, and you can hear the BVRRRRT for miles.
After working on many civilian aircraft (including several ercoupes) the only airplane that gets me going is the P51 mustang. Ideally a 7/8 scale carbon one. Even at scale they are huge. I’d have to build it myself naturally.
Rockets. Bring the THUNDER!
Bicycles (mainly customs, antique and vintage, but pretty much anything that isn’t made of CF), small boats—power and sail, wood boats of any size, kayaks, steam trains, WW2 fighter planes, tanks, telehandlers (no idea why, but I love the things).
I love small sailboats. I really want to buy some sort of 14-16ft Dinghy sometime soon and start sailing again like I used to in my childhood. They’re astoundingly cheap on the used market, but the real constraint is space. If I manage to find enough room and maybe put a hitch receiver on my wife’s car, it’ll be a perfect way to enjoy Michigan for what it really has to offer.
now that my Son is a pilot, aviation has become my interest – commercial and private jets.
Heavy equipment, like bulldozers and trackhoes.
My dad used to be a project manager for a civil construction company. For my 25th birthday, he let me drive all of the equipment around a huge job site, dig holes, fill them back in. One of the best days of my life.
Bicycles
Feathercraft boats. Especially the semi-split console ones like the Vagabond. Stylish, low maintenance, but a small.
Bicycles. But not in the same way I am for cars. I love seeing and reading about cars. And of course driving them. I don’t obsess about bikes in the same way. I just love riding them.
I am grumpy if I don’t get some pedal time in once in a while. Especially MTB.
Riveted Aluminum boats. Corrosion resistant, easy to repair, and changing from gas to diesel to propane to electric is just a matter of swapping the outboard, and no microplastics from the hull.
I’ve flown planes, gliders, driven a great variety of cars, dirt bikes, bicycles, etc. I’ve yet to find a vehicle I enjoy operating more than little boats at slow speeds in clean water.
They won’t rust, but I’m not sure I’d call them corrosion resistant. Aluminum boats can and do corrode. There’s a reason why hull anodes exist and are commonly found on aluminum boats, especially larger ones. Also, bad grounds or other electrical issues can quickly corrode an aluminum hull.
They certainly are corrosion resistant, and said resistance varies based on water type, duration in water, electrical issues/bad grounds as you mentioned, etc.
I’m a 100% car guy to the core. My earliest memories are playing with Matchbox cars, although I didn’t care for racing in any form much until I became an adult when I started racing cars myself.
Somehow I never got into motorcycles at all. Many of my friends who are gearheads like both cars and bikes, but bikes have never interested me much.
My dad worked for the airlines when I was a kid and I got to hang out at the airport a lot and fly internationally several times so I’ve always had an interest in aviation too. One day I’ll make it to Oshkosh.
I remarked elsewhere that I think the Cessna 195 is the most perfect vehicle of any type. The radial engine, the strut-less high wing with unobstructed viewing angles… it’s amazing.
My other is expedition sea kayaks. I lose my mind when I come across one in the wild and want to know all about it. Most kayaks are dust collecting toys… expedition kayaks are serious transportation in serious conditions and I love them.
The only time you want struts is on a floatplane, they make a good platform to swing off of when you’re docking. Otherwise they’re just useless drag.
Antique tractors!
Always brings a smile to my inner child to see an old Massey being used.
There are several Massey Harris GPs in my family (1930’s 4WD!!) and I recently acquired a 1962 Massey Ferguson Model 97 (4WD, 100+ hp, quite a beast in its day).
Zambonis
Bikes!