These days, Mr. Prager, most people don't have time to know all about a vehicle, inside and out, unless learning that kind of info is an avocation. I certainly don't.
While I get his point, I think this is something of a generational bias (I have it myself).
I would agree, but I do think he is talking about the car sales force.
Myself, I would have to rely on a company’s web site to know the details, and there are so many options now I can see where it might be a challenge for sellers, but...that is their job.
I would think that a car salesman would have the time to learn about the product they’re selling, at least; it is their job after all.
He was writing about young people whose job it is to sell cars. Not just an avocation, they were being paid to do it. His point was the utter disinterest in knowing the first thing about the product they're selling. I'd think a lot of product knowledge would come from repeated test drives and repeated questions, just recalling previous expeditions onto Google or, goodness knows, they might even go on the company's website or pick up a printed brochure.
That's his point. LOL.
He's not talking about the general public. He's talking about people whose job is selling cars.
The traditional view of a sales job was that to start with you needed to master the product inside and out. That is what is missing here. The drive to be good at whatever it is you are tasked with doing.
I’m not so sure being passionate about cars is such a good or important thing, however. This kiddos I’m pretty sure would say they are passionate about volunteering, with specifics in that line. In general, they have been taught that capitalism is evil, even if necessary, and so redemption comes from activism, nonprofits, etc.