Vanguard of the Next Generation
The demographics of the old-car world are always changing. But in recent years, there’s been more focus across the hobby on boosting interest among younger collectors — those who will carry the torch for classic Cal Spyders, E-types, Duesenbergs and Triumphs well into the future.
SCM is no stranger to the younger demographic — many of our behind-the-scenes staffers, myself included, are Millennials, and we’re all certi ed car addicts. And across the industry, we’re not alone.
So this past April, Publisher Martin put out the call to our readers to nominate those young enthu- siasts who are making a difference in the collector car world. We received hundreds of submissions in response, which made the selection process very dif cult indeed.
Here are our 40, as nominated by you and se- lected by the SCM editorial staff. — Jim Pickering
Dave Bentson
Occupation/Company: Principal and founder, Precision Automotive Group
Age: 35
Briefly describe what you do:
I’m a fee-only automotive adviser, provid- ing clients with a source of unbiased auto- motive expertise. We advise private clients on buying, selling, maintenance, collection management, restorations vs. preservation, insurance, detailing and motorsports.
The most influential person in your career has been?
I’ve been blessed to have numerous people invest in my business through the years. The idea of fee-only automotive advising came from Rob O’Dell, now a close friend who runs a fee-only financial planning firm. Howard Frankel, my business coach, is a retired Accenture executive. My father-in-law, Bill Murschel, is a retired corporate PR professional for several Fortune 500 companies. David Burroughs instilled in me the importance of the true definition of the word “origi- nal” and I was fortunate enough to work for Dana Mecum as he built his auction empire long before he had his own TV show. Carter Doolittle has opened numer- ous doors, as has Scott Ales. Truly, the list could go on for quite some time.
How can we help build classic-car enthusiasm with the next generation?
My under-40 clients and friends are inter- ested in quality, design and innovation. They view life very differently from Boom- ers, who viewed the good life as settling down and buying a house. Millennials are more into renting their lifestyle.
To build and bridge their interest, I’d do more events in major college towns with large populations of Millennials, and urban areas where Millennials typically move to post-college. Identify spokespersons as industry cheerleaders who appeal to Mil- lennials (professional athletes, celebrities, and entrepreneurs in the 20–40-year-old age category). Many of these folks are already avid car enthusiasts.