>They're the only technology anyone understands I wouldn't describe personal vehicles in such base terms, it's more that cars, trucks, off-road vehicles, etc a

>They're the only technology anyone understands I wouldn't describe personal vehicles in such base terms, it's more that cars, trucks, off-road vehicles, etc are the only form of manufactured goods that are both suitable to the world portrayed in the films and widespread enough to be accessible to everyone. All complex manufactured goods in such a world would be irreplacable, at least within the lifetime of anyone living in that time period. Radios and other electronics are also widespread and suitable enough to be considered a necessity but they'd be destroyed by the EMP effects of nuclear warfare (hence why every vehicle in Mad Max appears to be from the carburetor/pre-electronics era). Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistuingishable from magic and although the mechanicals of a car are well understood by laymen, their existence carries an air of magic/reverence as they cannot be replicated by the society which possesses them. IMO, the closest comparison is that of a Cargo Cult rather than an extreme extrapolation of existing car culture.