It’s
been 12
years
and 196
issues
since I
wrote my very first piece for
this bastion of the Australian
4WD world and there’s been a
heck of a lot of water under the
bridge since then. As I sit here,
literally at the front bar of the
D’Aguilar Pub (I’m not even
making that up) on the eve of
4WD Action’s 300th issue, I
can’t help but think just how far
we’ve come.
The industry as a whole has
undergone a heap of changes
in the last decade which for
many has meant you better
start swimming or sink like a
stone. For the most part, I
believe these have all been
very positive for the industry
as a whole, which for the
record is an industry I’m
bloody passionate about... one
that has shaped my life since I
was knee high.
Back in the day, owning a
swag was done two ways; use
your old man’s hand me down
ratty, mouldy and odd smelling
roll of canvas or save for a year
till you could afford your own.
Let’s be honest, most 4WD and
camping accessories were
obtained in a similar way.
Outdoor gear either didn’t exist
or cost a few months wages,
we made do with the bare
basics or built our own. Over
the last decade though, the
choices in outdoor gear and
4WD accessories has bloomed.
Never before have we had such
choice; from entry level to top
of the wazza. Owning a swag in
2019 is a day’s wage...like I said,
we’ve come a long way.
Likewise, our very 4WDs
have undergone something of a
techno transformation. A GQ,
maybe a GU, an 80, maybe a
100 were the vehicles of choice
for just about everyone and the
industry reflected this with
parts aimed directly at these
sooty old beasts. Today though,
the modern, IFS, computer
driven dual cab ute market has
absolutely exploded. Every man
and his dog has one and for
good reason. They are reliable,
capable, affordable and more
importantly, allow you to work5 days a week then head bush
on the weekend in the same
vehicle. Yeah, our rigs have
come a heck of a long way.
Then theres that old peanut,
social media. I mean have you
even gone bush this weekend if
you didn’t upload it to
Instagram? There isn’t a
platform still around in 2019
that has altered the 4WD and
outdoor industry as much as
social media. This has serious
positives and far reaching
negatives. Good content will, I
firmly believe, prevail...
however if you’re young and
attractive, wear as little as
possible, forget content and
strike a pose in front of your
4WD each day and wait for the
free products to come flooding
in. Sex sells just as well in 2019
as it ever has. Credibility is
best left to the expertshowever....maybe some things
haven’t come a long way.
As undiminished as ever
over the years though, is the
genuine froth; from both
myself and just about
everyone with the same
passion that I meet out on the
tracks. You might be decades
in and a veteran within the
4WD community or just bought
your first pride and joy, that
feeling of pulling off the
blacktop, locking the hubs and
pointing the bonnet towards
adventure never gets old.
Here’s to as many more
adventures as we can all enjoy
hey...catch you out there.The 4WD industry
has come a long
way since Graham
started – but is it
all good?WORDS BY GRAHAM CAHILL
HOW FAR
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