The automobile is an object that can be seen, touched, and interacted with. It has been used throughout history to represent power, status, and success. The bodywork of cars is made from metal, glass, plastic, rubber, leather, wood, and many other materials. Some people find these materials attractive and sexy. They enjoy touching them, smelling them, seeing them, or thinking about them. Automobiles can also symbolize strength, speed, freedom, danger, dominance, authority, control, comfort, convenience, efficiency, and more. Many people have sex fantasies involving cars. These include being driven around in a car, driving a car themselves, getting into a car alone or with others, having sex in a car, watching someone else have sex in a car, or dreaming about owning a certain type of car. Some people are turned on by the sound of the engine or the feel of the steering wheel. Others are aroused by the interior design, color scheme, shape, size, or make. There is even a fetish called 'automotive sexuality' which involves having sex while surrounded by cars. It can involve roleplaying as mechanics, repairmen, drivers, passengers, or passengers who become accidental lovers. Fetishes may be associated with specific parts of a car, such as the hood, dashboard, gearshift, seats, wheels, or tires. People may also get turned on by the idea of customizing their car, polishing it, washing it, waxing it, or adding accessories. Psychosexuality refers to how people think about and interact with objects based on their own psychological development. People who are highly invested in their vehicles may have unresolved conflicts from childhood or adolescence.

They might want to please their father, mother, teacher, or peers. This could lead to feelings of guilt, shame, or fear that manifests itself in their relationship with cars. They may also project these feelings onto the vehicle, seeing it as an extension of themselves. Other people may simply enjoy the sensations and associations that come from touching and interacting with cars. They may not consciously understand why this is so but find it pleasurable nonetheless.