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!
NITRO FUEL
When I read someone that refers to tires as ‘shoes’ I know that they are young. The young ones have taken the word ‘shoes’ from the original 100 year old reference to brake shoes (drum brakes). There goes history again.
No brake shoes on my Ranger, it has four wheel discs. So there’s only one type of shoe on that truck. 🙂
For some reason, I always thought beetles has a unique smell.
Is it just me?
And not being a rich guy from Connecticut, I can’t say if it applies to their Porsche 356 cousins.
Agree with Old cars, Olde English and canvas smells.
I owned three Beetles and yes they did smell in a nice way. Traded the last one in for a Porsche 356. Completely different smell. It was a cabriolet so the front seats were leather. Still enjoy that leather smell. Yes, still have it. The vinyl door cards, dash and rear have been redone in leather. I get bathed in that smell every time I drive it.
I love the smell of burning rubber in the morning!
My friend and I used to go to the junkyard and pickup a couple of old tires. His went on his Camaro, mine to my Mopar. We’d go to the school parking lot and proceed to do donuts till the tires essentially melted. Glorious clouds of black smoke blowing thru the neighborhood, with the smell of burning rubber infiltrating every open window. Sometimes the cops would come, only to find dozens of beautiful black circles that would last for weeks. Good times….
The distinct smell of my 1940 Plymouth. I believe it’s a combination of old horsehair seat stuffing and bakelite control knobs that have been sitting in the sun too long.
Old Porsche leather is so amazing. How can a car 30 plus years old hold that smell? Probably don’t want to know.
My first memories of car smells was in the early 60’s of alcohol/ methanol? It was at a dirt track in Zilwaukee,Michigan with the jalopy type cars. Of course the new car smell is intoxicating to me as well. Not car related but Blendzall was a favorite 2 stroke oil smell coming out of an expansion chamber.
When it comes to interiors… sure, theres always that “New car smell”. But, IMHO, the best smell can be summed-up in one word: Leather.
A mixture of Nitromethane and burnt rubber. If they only made cologne’s of all these…..
Perhaps i missed it: Differential oil is a top qualifier for worst category.
How many t-shirts have you thrown away because of diff fluid contamination?
RP
General Motors limited-slip additive was the last product on the market that legally contained whale oil.
Old motorcycles using Castor Bean oil.
Yea, high octane gas exhaust before catalytic convertors. I remember that smell from when i was a kid and a corvette would pass us on the turnpike. That was 70 years ago, time flies.
You just reminded me of one of the worst car related smells. Remember the rotten egg, sulphur smells many of the early catalyst cars had in the mid 70’s? I rarely smell that any more. That’s a good thing. 🙂
Yes I refer to the fumes of my Rocket 400 as the smell of Horsepower!!
As an opposite to the best smell, my FJ40, heck all FJ40’s have a stink that is unexplainable. Exhaust, burnt oil plus something unique to the interior. Add in cat pee on the seat covers till I could get mine into a garage and you just have a weird smell like no other. Every time I meet a State Trooper on the highway I’d just pull over and wait for him to turn around. It’s like they think that it’ll be an easy ticket for something – but never has. I’ve only received bogus warnings. But every single time, the officer will ask “What’s that smell?”
Now That reminds me of another of the worst car related smells. Have you ever smelled your wheels or brakes when they get hot after a dog has peed on them? Very, very bad dog… 🙁 Awful smell.
Leather for sure, the at first new car smell of my ’63 SS 409 4spd, positract Impala and later the smell of open exhaust, burnt rubber and winning. I could have gone sometime without the memory of Marine Corps canvas etc. …lol.
Ha…”I go bananas for that new tire smell.”
If you ever need a quick fix for that ‘new tire smell’ just stop in at any Harbor Freight.
The scent of fresh Chinese Rubber will carry you along as you drift from aisle to aisle perusing all the stuff you forgot to add to your wish list…
That is very true!