What are Petrolheads? Meaning, definition, explanation


Petrolheads are people whose lives revolve around cars. It’s about an intense attitude to life associated with them.

What does petrolhead mean? Meaning, definition, explanation

The term „petrolhead“ is about the fact that in such a head the gasoline runs through the thoughts. In such a head the thoughts do not stand still. Such a head is permanently moved in the matter of gasoline.

A petrolhead is not to be confused with someone who simply „has petrol in his blood“. This phrase refers to someone who has a feeling for cars and is good with them. In German, when someone has something „in their blood,“ it means that they have a talent or gift for something. If that something, for example music, is characteristic of someone, then they simply have it in their blood.

What are Petrolheads? Meaning, definition, explanation

To be a petrolhead means to follow a certain lifestyle and to enjoy a certain attitude towards life. The car stands for freedom, for beauty, for speed and for perfection. Petrolheads are car enthusiasts. They wrench, they remove, they rebuild, they install, and they show off. They show off their car, enjoy the looks and the feeling of being in some kind of time machine. The Petrolheads‘ cars are often classic cars whose interiors they have updated to the latest mechatronic standards. These vehicles take the Petrolheads back to the past, when cars and bikes still had character.

Besides cars, it is mainly motorcycles around which the Petrolheads‘ lives, thoughts and feelings revolve. Old models, classics, are disassembled and reassembled. Finding original parts is one of the passions of the Petrolheads. There is a large scene, networks and regular meetings where experiences are shared and the cars and two-wheelers are demonstrated. They are put on display and races, joyrides and rallies are organized.

Petrolheads are almost exclusively men. Few women share this all-consuming passion for cars and two-wheelers. Most women drive cars, but do not consider them part of their livelihood. There are exceptions, however. Women who spend every free minute with their cars and, like the male petrolheads, think of nothing else.

Petrolheads are addicts

The passion with which petrolheads are attached to their vehicles can certainly be compared to an addiction. The term „petrolhead“ is basically a euphemism for an addictive passion. You can’t do without a car. This fact alone has something of an addiction, because there is no saturation. The car, the bike, the truck or the moped is an addictive substance.

The petrolhead always wants more: more original parts, more horsepower, more cars, more time to put into his passion. The vehicles of the petrol brothers hardly trigger a physical addiction, but a strong desire for more. Perfection can never be achieved from this point of view, because there will always be something to improve.

The listed signs of addiction also apply to Petrolheads and Petrolbrothers:

  • Strong, almost insatiable urge to engage with the vehicle
  • Loss of control over this urge
  • Withdrawal symptoms and strategies to avoid these symptoms, such as buying more vehicles or vehicle parts or expanding interest to other models
  • It takes more and more to achieve the same satisfying effect in each case
  • Reducing other interests and a narrowed pattern of behavior
  • Satisfying the need, despite knowing the negative consequences, such as in terms of money or relationships

Autor: Pierre von BedeutungOnline

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