Is the car losing its shine? An analysis of European adolescents’ imaginaries about automobile

Recent scientific publications show an increase in the average age of obtaining a driving license. This phenomenon suggests a certain disavowal of the car among young adults and teenagers. Based on a survey of more than 8,000 teenagers across five European countries, this article analyses the perception of cars among teenagers aged 14 to 17 years. Knowledge of teenagers’ perception of cars makes it possible to consider their future modal practices during adulthood. The results showed most European teenagers to have a good perception of cars. Analysis based on the adjectives associated with cars by the surveyed teenagers revealed this perception to be structured by several dimensions: functional, safety, environmental, and aesthetic. This article particularly discusses the effects of the place of residence, age, gender on these dimensions.