Diesels

"The future was better in the past."

Diesels are members of the subculture and aesthetic style known as diesel chic or diesel culture. The diesel style, named after the fuel commonly used in compression-ignition engines during the 20th and early 21st century, is in itself a wide umbrella term for many stylistic sub-genres - the common denominator is the nostalgia and appreciation for the 20th century, usually pre-1970. This can encompass everything from past technology, fashion, music, art, speech, cinema, and many other cultural trends. Mixing together different historical eras into new combinations is also a very prominent part of diesel culture.

Culture

While the combining and "mash-up" aspect of different past periods are important to most diesels, it is common to mainly focus on one specific stylistic or cultural era, creating different subcategories within diesel culture. There are also a number of other distinct "subgenres" that differentiate themselves in other ways.
Classic diesel: The "original", and still largest, diesel scene focuses mainly on the 1950s and 1960s, regarded by many as a golden age for automobile design and fashion alike.
Roaring diesel: Also called Gatsby diesel by those focusing on the literature, art and high-fashion of the times, roaring diesel gets its name from the "Roaring Twenties" and draws from the era between the First and Second World War.
American diesel: Formed as a counterpart to the high admiration of mostly European cars in the early classic diesel scene, american diesel draws from the same historical period but focuses specifically on the USA, muscle cars, and americana culture.
Hard/pure diesel: Diesels who reject the mixing of different eras, and put especially great emphasis on staying clear from the infusion of modern-day elements. Historical accuracy is crucial to hard diesels, and the rejection of modern technology may often take on a political tone rather than the lighthearted nostalgia of "regular" diesel culture. The hard diesel scene and anti-technology activism done by groups like Yggdrasil often overlap.

History

The history of the word "diesel" as pertaining to a subculture originated in the automotive industry in the late 2050s, when the electric car was in the process of completely crushing its fossil fuel competitors with the advent of commercial fusion energy. Certain luxury manufacturers with a strong heritage of gas-powered cars, such as Ferrari and Bentley, had garnered a reputation for being strongly opposed to moving to electric (and hover technology), leading to the at-the-time CEO of Tesla accusing both companies of being run by "diesel-hugging dinosaurs". The quote spread in the car enthusiast community, where many who felt similarly about electric cars started self-identifying as "diesels".
What started out as a famous insult with industry insiders turned into a term of pride for those who wanted to appreciate the cars of the past, and picked up speed in other communities (such as the fashion scene) a few years down the line: now in its broader current usage, describing someone expressing a nostalgia for 20th century technology and pre-internet culture.

An example of music from the "roaring diesel" scene, combining 1930s swing with early 21st century dance music.

Type

Social, Clique

Demonym

"A diesel" is someone who participates in "diesel culture" or dresses "diesel chic".