The first time I noticed the concept of car communities, I was riding in my older brother’s VW Beetle when another Beetle passed by. VW folks would greet each other on the road with a simple flash of the headlights. Today car communities and culture are much more diverse and nuanced, some being brand engineered while others began organically.
Duck, Duck, Jeep
The Jeep community is very connected, with their own events, habits and endless modifications. One of the friendliest Jeep specific activities is called “Ducking.” Back in 2020, Jeep owner and off-road driving trainer, Allison Parliament, committed a random act of kindness by placing a rubber duck on a stranger’s Jeep. With Covid keeping the world apart, this small gesture resonated and took off big time. Today, the ducks are embraced by Jeep corporate, with some Jeep owners having been ducked so many times, they have a cache of colorful, decorated
ducks on their dashboard, called
a “duck pond.”
I spoke to local Jeep owner Eliza Wendel about ducking. Wendel, who is the manager at Ridgefield’s 850 Degrees restaurant, got her white Wrangler Sahara in 2019. Wendel wasn’t even aware of ducking when she put a rubber duck on her dash after winning it at an arcade. Less than a week later, she was “ducked,” when a stranger left one on her door handle. Firmly embracing the lifestyle, Wendel also does the Jeep “wave” when passing another Jeep driver.
Headlight Hello
Mazda MX-5 Miata owners are another connected car group, flashing their pop-up or fixed headlights to each other on the
road. Now in it’s fourth generation, the Miata is the best-selling
two-seat sports car in history. In 2022, the folks at Lime Rock Park created an annual event called Miatacon. Held in October, the inclusive weekend celebrates the full range of Miata culture with sanctioned racing, autocross, a car show, and even a karaoke party. I’ve been attending races at LRP since the 70s and the Miatacon crowd is the most diverse I’ve ever seen at the park, all sharing a love for the fun little roadster.
The Porsche Connection
Porsche is the opposite end of the spectrum. While Porsche has a long tradition of racing and high performance driving, the vehicles themselves have a community culture around them. While it’s easy to think Porsche owners are too elite to be part of a “community,” back in 1952, the Porsche Club of America was born with just a handful of members. Today, PCA boasts 700 clubs in 86 countries with a quarter million members. PCA has something for everyone – from casual weekend drives to organized trips abroad; concours and car shows to high performance driver education track days; and even competition events including parking lot autocross and full-on sanctioned racing. PCA also has a high-quality magazine that is worth the annual membership alone. While an independent organization, PCA is fully endorsed by Porsche.
The Two Wheel Wave
Motorcyclists have their own shared community, dating back much further. The story goes back to 1904 when William Harley and Arthur Davidson, the founders of the legendary motorcycle brand, would wave to each other when they passed on the road. As motorcycling was in its infancy, the wave quickly took off. While originally common amongst the Harley and Indian cruiser set, today most riders acknowledge each other on the road.
Here in the US, it’s done with the left hand as bikes pass each other, dropping the left hand off the handlebar and giving the low wave. Having been a motorcyclist myself, and in the belief that all of us two-wheelers need to stick together, I’ve tried the wave while riding one of my bicycles on the street. Sadly, it’s never been returned. I need to try it with a Vespa to see if just ditching the pedals and adding an engine gets me into the club.•
