Elana Scherr: Artificial Flavor

From the July/August 2023 issue of Car and Driver.

There’s a strange desire among software developers, corporate leadership, and insurance companies to get computer programs to do all the fun stuff. Writers, artists, and even drivers are being replaced by artificial intelligence. I haven’t been too impressed by the AI- generated artwork I’ve seen, and I only use driver assists long enough to be sure I still hate them. But I decided to give ChatGPT, one of the more popular AI interfaces, a chance at automotive writing to see how worried we should be.

I started with an easy prompt, “What’s a car that will be collectible in the next five years?” The chatbot thought for a second and came back with a disclaimer that it could neither predict the future nor be held responsible for accuracy (okay, so far, it is like a real writer). Then it suggested a Mercedes 300SL. Not wrong exactly, but recommending a seven-figure Gullwing as an upcoming collectible is a bit like suggesting real-estate investment in the Malibu hills. We’re past the easy buy-in point, Chatty.

AI can only reorganize what already exists, so anything it produces is a mash-up of what human writers have published. It can list valuable cars based on auction results, but you need me to explain why you should ignore those trends and buy yourself an antique Dodge. AI may have the edge on pattern recognition and processes per second, but I have ADHD and access to Facebook Marketplace.

The author’s car.

Elana Scherr

My husband and I bought a 1915 Dodge Brothers touring car on a whim, and now I think everyone should get one. Not a Dodge necessarily—although it was the first mainstream production car with a 12-volt electrical system and an all-steel body—but something old, where being behind the wheel requires all your attention and limbs. I’d thought driving classic muscle cars was a good unplug (no EV joke intended) from modern machines with glowing screens and argumentative lane-keeping assist, but maneuvering a century-old ride is not just an adventure—it’s a brag-worthy accomplishment, like learning calligraphy or getting an orchid to reflower.

Elana Scherr

Adding Brass Era driving skills to your résumé doesn’t take much money. Common prewar cars are surprisingly cheap. You can get a running Model T for about 10 grand and a project for around five. If wrenching on a partially disassembled horseless carriage intimidates you, think of it this way: There’s nothing better to learn on than a car from the early days of automobiles. It’s historically accurate to come into ownership as someone who has never turned a wrench on a car. Maintenance tips from period literature include some high-tech instructions: If the clutch engagement is too “fierce,” oil the leather band; if the wooden wheels get loose, drive through a creek.

Elana Scherr

Elana Scherr

I don’t know the first owner’s name, but a small plaque on the floorboard indicates they bought the car at Harold L. Arnold Dodge in downtown L.A. The first paperwork we could find is from the early ’60s, when the car lived in the mountain town of Ojai, California. Did the original owner drive it up there? That would have been an 80-mile journey over dirt roads, maybe through a creek, dusting orange poppies along the way. Every time I take the Dodge out, I wonder whether that first owner would be surprised to know their old machine was still on the road. I like feeling connected to them, to a whole era when everyone was learning to drive.

I can’t promise that investing in a century-old car will pay off financially. For a sure bet, take ChatGPT’s advice and buy a Gullwing. But there’s more to car collecting than resale value. Sometimes you need to experience something difficult and learn new skills, even if those are very old skills. There’s no substitute for a challenging human experience.

Senior Editor, Features

Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn’t know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver’s license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews.