HBCU Writers's Project
For Immediate Release
February 12, 2009
Contact Information

Jahwahn Rainey
Florida A&M University

(BPRW) Self-Expression through Auto Accessories

(BLACK PR WIRE) (February 13, 2009) Nowadays, everyone is using car accessories to turn heads. Cars shined and polished to perfection, emitting tunes from loud sound systems can be seen in every corner of America. But what are the hottest trends for car accessories right now? Are candy paint and 28-inch rims still in? Many rap videos show stars riding in $200,000 cars or in a candy-painted car on 28-inch rims, but is that still popular on the streets or is it a thing of the past? According to many sources these days, less is better. 

“I think the rims are still in style but I think they’re going overboard with the 26's, 28’s, and 32’s. Why would you want those big tires on your car?” says Candace Brown, a worker at a Tallahassee auto shop. According to Brown, these days it’s all about working with what you have to fix up your car. “Most people are into wash and wax kits to keep their paint clean. The paint is important whether the car is old or new. If the paint is glossy and laid real nice on the outside, that’s what I like.” 

Brown also expresses a sense of pride when she talks about the new trend of women with elaborate sound system in their cars. “If a girl has some beat in her car, that’s what is in right now. I have a friend who has an '89 box Chevy she brings in to fix it up and put beat in it.” 

While staples in car accessories such as candy paint and sound systems never went out of style, other traditional forms of auto accessories are enjoying new attention. Brianna Miley, who works at Auto Trim Designs and Signs in Tallahassee, Florida, says many people are now coming in to get graphic designs on their cars. “I think people are putting graphics on their cars because it just makes the car look cooler,” says Miley. Miley also believes that putting graphics on a car is an affordable option for every car owner. “A lot of graphics are different prices, from $50 to $100, so it all depends on what you want and what you’re trying to spend.” 

When asked about the newest trends for auto accessories, many people mention decorative air flow kits. “The thing most people come in and get are the venders,” says Brown. 

Venders, as they are sometimes called, are decorative vent attachments usually placed on the fender or front side panels of automobiles. Decorative vent attachments are sometimes called decorative air flow kits. These attachments are designed to give the appearance of an actual air vent, which traditionally have been trademarks of very high end performance automobiles. 

The most popular trend in auto accessories is window tinting. Some even go as far as to say that tinting your car windows is a necessity, not an accessory. “Tints are what is in; it’s the new trend. If you don’t have tints on your car, it’s like ‘Oh my goodness, you are so lame because you don’t have tints!’” Brown emphatically states while laughing. 

In the end, however, it seems that there will always be new automotive trends emerging as car owners try to outdo one another in automotive expression. “People are always going to try to do something better than the next man, so car trends are going to go wherever a person’s creativity takes them,” says Chene Rush, a college student from Detroit.