Our Two Cents: Favorite Automotive Smells
Automobiles are a delight for the senses, and not just from how they feel behind the wheel and the sounds they make. Cars can even yield delicious tastes (if you read the book Manifold Destiny and follow its instructions carefully, that is). But we aren’t here to tempt your taste buds—that’s a story for another day. Rather, we’re going to tease your olfactory sensory neurons with smells from automobiles that we simply cannot resist.
I asked the team here at Hagerty Media for their thoughts on the best automotive smells. They dutifully took a wistful inhale through their nose, conjured up the memory of their favorite vehicular bouquet, and took to their keyboards. Do any of their choices tickle your fancy?
Old Car Smell
“Does ‘old car smell’ count? If so, that’s mine. I know that’s kind of vague and will vary tremendously by car, specifically when it comes to cloth vs. leather vs. vinyl interiors and such. But I feel like most people know exactly what old car smell smells like!
It always brings up fond memories of times spent in memorable cars in my childhood. Like most smells, it has that time machine effect. Hard to explain, but I think most of us know that feeling!” – Ben Woodworth
“Older Volvo and old BMW interiors. I could pick those cars out by their distinctive leathery, plasticky smells even if I were blindfolded.” – Eddy Eckart
Gasoline
“I really do love the smell of gas. (When stationary, and pumping it into my car, with ignition off, all those things.) Leaning next to your car at the gas station, listening to the fuel chug into the tank, you get a respite from the activity of the road and can stare off into the distance and contemplate all the places you’ll go thanks to those few minutes of waiting for fuel.
Maybe you’re knocking out household errands, maybe you’re anticipating a road trip to see a dear friend, maybe you’re prepping for fun morning or afternoon of your favorite windy roads. Also, it’s a great time to admire the loop installed into the gas lines to protect them against all those people who yank the line tight to fuel their car from the wrong side. Yes, I’m judging you.” – Grace Houghton
“Nothing quite smells like high octane race gas. It’s addicting once you get your first whiff and its something you notice any time there’s a waft from a car burning it. Simply unbeatable.” – Greg Ingold
Two-Stroke Engines
“Burned two-cycle-infused 110 octane. Best whiffed on the wind and not at great length, it nevertheless screams motorsports fun to my nose. I’ve yet to buy the klotz two-cycle-scented candle for my office, but i keep meaning to.” – Eddy Eckart
“Used differential oil. Mmmm! Gross, not really. But I do love the smell of two-stroke exhaust. There’s something wonderful about that mix, and the fact that it comes with its own distinct ring-da-ding-ding-ding soundtrack is the capper for me. It’s all just so distinct.” – Stefan Lombard
“Second place for me goes to the smell of a two stroke engine. Snowmobiles, or a bike, doesn’t matter, that oily perfume is hard to get over.” – Greg Ingold
Workin’ At The Car Wash
“Reading the question, I was instantly brought back to childhood Saturdays and summers helping my Dad wash and wax his Datsun 240 and 280z, and the scent of freshly sprayed tire shine. I don’t know what sort of fragrances they’re using but it’s sweet and makes you want to grab a fruity popsicle after laboring in the Summer sun. At the time, it could feel like a chore, but now I wish I could fly home to help him ahead of the next car show. (Photo for proof!)” – Dani Brewer
Methanol
“There’s several: Wax with a high carnauba content, aviation fuel, the inside of my helmet, believe it or not; but my all-time favorite has to be burning methanol. It’s used as fuel for some high-strung oval-track cars, like the 900-horsepower World of Outlaws sprinters. When I’m walking into a track and there’s the hint of methanol in the air, I know it’s probably going to be a good night.” – Steven Cole Smith
Fiberglass Resin
“I love the aroma of fiberglass resin. I know it’ll likely kill me, but I think it reminds me of the boat my neighbors had while I was growing up. And I second race gas, but after its been burned.” – Larry Webster
Vintage English Interiors
“I’m going with ‘British car’ — it’s some strange cocktail of leather, stained wood, resin, oil, and stiff upper lip. Like what you imagine a tobacco pipe factory smells like. The scent makes me remember how close, in the grand scheme of things, cars are to horse carriages.” – Eric Weiner
Military Canvas
“Favorite smell has to be earthy odor of OD canvas on WWII military vehicles. All vehicles from the period have the same smell, tanks too because they typically have canvas seat covers. I guess it’s a combination of linen, waterproofing, and mold, but it seeps into your clothes and luggage and anything else made of a soft material. It seems to be unique to military vehicles and for me is the smell of army green and history.” – Aaron Robinson
Toasty Brake Pads?
“Since it’s been a while since I caught a whiff of this smell in a bad situation, I’ll go with hot brakes.
The combination of the hot iron rotors and the concoction of friction material on the pads gives off a very rewarding odor when first pulling off my helmet after parking in the pits. Might be a Pavlovian response to the fun from on track, but paired with the soft plinking of a cooling engine, the smell of hot brakes just tickles the senses just right.” – Kyle Smith
New Shoes?
“As I teenager I loved the smell of new shoes, even if my parents couldn’t buy me the latest Nike Air Max/Jordan that some of my friends had back in the day. But even my cheap Kaepa hi-tops (with the removable logos that came in different colors!) had an intoxicating smell. Sometimes it’d waft from my bedroom closet and serenade my nostrils at night.
I wish I could leave the garage door to my house open for the same effect, because now I go bananas for that new tire smell. Same concept, but new shoes for different feet. I popped on a new set of General white letter radials for my Ford Ranger last week, and those memories all rushed back. It’s a shame the truck sits outside most of the time, but get within a foot of those new donuts and the new shoe smell is impossible to overlook. Or is that over-smell?” – Sajeev Mehta
And The Opposite?
“Hey Sajeev! The next Our Two Cents column should be about the worst automotive smells! My wife would probably be the better person to ask about this, though, as all of us in the TC garage occasionally come home smelling like any of the following: burnt oil, gasoline, 50-year old differential oil, cat pee, dead rodents, exhaust fumes, etc.” – Ben Woodworth
I like the cut of your jib, Ben. We shall make that happen!
I agree with the old car smell, tires, and I’ll add exhaust from old diesel engines.
110 Octane exhaust and the vintage English leather and wood interior all bring back pleasant memories- there is nothing like them and its always odd how a smell can be such a connection to events in our lives.
Agree
The exhaust smell from the four double barrel Webers on my 1977 Ferrari. I had an older gentleman in a Audi pull up next to me today and said “Your car smells amazing” lol! Also the interior smell from my 1971 Mercedes 280 se. I loved that car! Wish I still had it.
ABSOLUTELY! I still use 100LL AvGas in my race cars (and sometimes in my 1963 Mini Cooper) just because the scent going into the tank and again of the exhaust trigger such great memories of racing! And the special, unique smell of either a 50’s America car interior (is it the seat padding? the carper padding? something in the headliner?) OR an old British car (DEFINITELY the Leather!) also trigger fantastic memories from my younger days!
I can’t go with old-car smell. It’s usually mold and sweat. I’ll pass on that. 🙂
I agree. I worked on a 1957 Rolls Royce when it was a out 30 years old. The musty smell of that leather still haunts me
Speaking of diesel exhaust (and old Volvos)…
For all of those who are looking to recreate that old vehicle interior smell… A company called D.S. & Durga makes a candle called “’85 DIESEL”. The creation was inspired by an ’85 Volvo that was taken on family vacations. For car lovers, it real does hit a sweet spot, I really love the scent of leather & diesel, they actually find a way to make it an enjoyable fragrance (to my nose).
It has to be Castrol R. I still find it odd to be hearing racing engines without the nostalgic smell.
I agree 100%. Back in the 1960s I used to go watch the Autocrosses every weekend and that distinctive smell of old Castrol Oil was intoxicating. Mostly European sport cars, with some American V8s. I got a whiff of that oil every time I watched them fly by me. Between the sounds and the smells I was hooked.
YES
RB, you nailed it with Castorl Racing.
I still have an unopened can in the shop. It is a quart can on the shelf watching the world go by.
Yes and I have 24 imperial quarts of R 40 on my shelf for a Cooper S & Healey 100 M!
When I started to read this article, Castrol R came to my nostalgic smell memory. They didn’t have it but you got it. Maybe none of them are old enough to have been around to remember that smell in the pits when you walked among real race cars.
Yes
Care here to say the same thing. The smell of Castrol R immediately transports me back my very first autocross event, as a 15 year old gofer in 1970. As I recall, it was in a Mini Cooper S….
YES + COOPER S
I like all of the above, but Stephen Cole Smith really nailed my favorite: the old-style paste wax. Waxing a vehicle in the garage or carport, getting ready to go out on a date, and breathing those fumes (probably toxic, but hey, what isn’t?) was a real high point in my early automotive life.
But later on, after I took up sanctioned drag racing over the stoplight kind, I discovered up close the smell of nitromethane exhaust. In the heady days of the late ’60s and early ’70s, nitro-burning cars with zoomies belching out those cackling aromas captured my olfactory senses better than most anything.
I bought a 79 Cadillac that had suffered an engine fire when I was a young lad. I went to the boneyard, pulled a harness, then diligently went through and replaced all of the charred wiring. I fixed a few other burned up components, and all in I had me a pretty nice car for a quarter of its blue book value. Between the leather and whatever air freshener the previous owner had, that car had a somewhat unique smell to it that I still remember to this day. Every time I catch a whiff of a similar odor, it reminds me of opportunity.
The smell of the black Bakelite steering wheel in my dad’s ’48 International
The smell of old school fresh lacquer paint?
100% agree, Isaiah! In 1977, I painted my Chevelle Nocturne Blue lacquer and it was a unique smell. I never will forget it!!!
Yes, the smell of lacquer paint, and fibreglass and polyester resin. I used to do body work from my parents garage when i was in high school and college. I’m sure I’m missing quite a few brain cells due to all that now.
Seems as if most of us enjoy some sort of VOC odor! In that case I’ll add the scents of part-washing solvent, WD-40, and my old Brut cologne to the list! 😂
VOC is a major component of the blood of a car enthusiast
Good point.
Like the VOCs of bondo….I love that smell !! Yeah, it’s not good for you, I get that, but still….
Old VW seats. Whatever that filler material was? Yamalube out a twosmokers exhaust! Why did I sell not 1,but all 3 RZ350s??????? 🙁
Old VW seats —
Most likely HORSEHAIR. My unrestored ’62 VW (w/80k original miles) has that same familiar odor.
Military Canvas – in the sun. (…SIGH…)
A man brought a restored 3/4 ton military pickup to our cruise nite — complete with OD canvas top.
The MINUTE I caught that smell, I was transported back to AIT at Fort Gordon, GA – 1967 — then to Vietnam in ’68…
To say it was mildly CHILLING is an understatement !
How could you forget the delightful scent of MARVEL MYSTERY OIL !!??
Yep…that distinctive smell emitted from old German car interiors is the rubberized horsehair seat padding. The charming German word is gummihaar. Blindfolded, you’ll know it’s German soon as you open the door.
I was thinking the same! Old VWs in general all have the same interior smell. So nostalgic!
The smell of CASTROL R bean oil was the most memorable and pleasing to the senses.
I had a Yamaha 360 MX in 1972 that ran on leaded premium mixed with Castrol R. Great smell and crazy fast bike for the day.
Most of those are terrible! What about leather? Leather is the very, very best.
I agree Leather is the very best.
Leather, not the fake crap now being pushed as more environmentally acceptable
Processed leather interior smell. Absolutely one of the most satisfying car related smells. It usually means you just spent a boatload of money on a new car though. The smell numbs the reality of the financial transaction. 🙂
As the owner of a ’79 Continental I love old car smell. My ’65 Imperial had the best! As the former owner of an MGB, the heady smell of raw gas and oil still brings back (sorta) fond memories.
I was surprised that NO ONE mentioned the smell of a Volkswagen Beetle–the interior included quite a bit of rubber–this “perfume” was notable! It has been mentioned by everyone who drove a Beetle (before restoration when different, modern materials were used).
When I was switching from late 50’s Karmann-Ghias to early 60’s Volvos I remember noticing the smell was the same. As far as VOC smells – WD-40 by far
The smoky stink of an old engine that hasn’t run in decades, when you first get it to run again after who knows how many hours of work. Oil, grease, spider webs, dust, spilled coolant, gasoline and who knows what else smoking as it cooks off the exhaust manifolds. I love that stink. And the sound. And once in a while a piece of mouse nest comes shooting out the exhaust pipe!
Sounds like blue-smoke smell. Could be good sometimes.
Ever notice how you can tell the brand & era of a car just by interior scent ? Tri-five Chevys, ’60s Mopars, British cars as mentioned,,,each seems to have a signature aroma. Also have to agree with race fuel, waxes, fiberglass resin, paint products…and I’ve probably omitted a few carcinogens…
The old creosote based GUNK carb cleaner that came in the 5 gallon bucket with a basket. That and the original formula GoJo!
My long-suffering (55 years!) wife always says carb cleaner is the ultimate and exclusive ‘man smell’.
Worst! Dot 3 brake fluid; having the brakes go out at speed on my ’51 Ford in high school ’63, and a ’69 VW
Bestelwagen (microbus) four lanes from the curb in Barcelona Spainin ’72 print that aroma in my brain permanently! May why I got to the expense of using Dot 5 silicone in my restorations now!? Next comes tobacco smoke and dawgs that is objectionable.
Raw gas makes me think of Farmall tractors. Old cars reek of overage mohair, tarry stuff, and stale gas!
GUNK carb cleaner brings back memories – the smell and the burning sensation the first (and last) time you used your hand to fish parts out because the cleaner level was too low to use the basket any more. I agree on the many comments about new & old car smell, leather, nitromethane, burnt rubber and WD40 also.
One last, and unmistakable odor — BURNING RUBBER & NITRO METHANE !!
Dragsters & Funny Cars !!
Burning rubber during a good “hole shot” is my favorite.
When I came home from the shop, my wife knew immediately that I had been cleaning carburetors with that Gunk stuff. She hated it. Gumout spray was also pungent.
I grew up in my dad’s shop and the smell of those old red mechanics rags and original formula GoJo is forever sealed in my brain!