Are cars a media form?

I’d never thought of the automobile as a media form before, but this article in the NY Times caught my eye:

It’s all about how the car makers are worried that today’s young people are waiting longer than ever to get driver’s licenses and that the automobile as the über-icon of independence is being replaced by the smart phone and the tablet. The car as social glue is giving way to the online revolution. The article notes, “The shift in attitudes is being spurred by technology, in that many younger consumers are more interested in the newest smartphone or tablet than in the newest sedan or T-top.”

So I guess the car was a form of social media before we had social media. Looked at this way, it makes perfect sense!