What Does Your Car Say About You?

Jan 22 16:01 UTC 2004

This morning on the way to work I saw a person driving a Hummer and I 
thought to myself "Geez, what an ASSHOLE"! Now, this person wasnt doing 
anything to make me think that other than driving a big ugly car. They 
certainly werent driving poorly. In fact, later on I noticed them stop 
to let someone out of a gas station driveway so the actual evidence is 
that they werent some jerk. Still, there is something that just 
screams "I am a selfish pretentious jerk" about a Hummer. 

This got me thinking about how image and what we project to the world 
is related to the kind of car we drive. It seems so silly and yet I am 
obviously guilty of it as my thoughts this morning about the Hummer 
driver indicate. I know that I have other thoughts abotu drivers of 
other cars. For instance, whenever I see someone driving an Aztec, I 
think to myself "Now there is a person who doesnt mind driving an ugly 
car" ;) 

I am not the only one though. There was a certain ad run by the right 
wing Club for Growth that strongly implied that people who drive Volvos 
are politically liberal. People often associate pickup trucks with the 
south. SUVs have a kind of rugged American image while mini-vans just 
scream "soccer mom". 

I drive an old beat up VW Jetta. I guess I always think of VW drivers 
as being kind of like me. Which, when you think about it, is kind of 
stupid. I mean, folks buy cars for all kinds of reasons besides image. 
It is after all a way to get from point A to point B.

So? What images do you usually associate with different makes and 
models of cars?

response 2 of 46:

Jan 24 21:01 UTC 2004

I never heard of any of these.  This year we have had to drive since I am sick
so Jim has insured his 1987 Dodge Colt.  What image does that project?
He used to drive a green bike with a purple fork.  I have a white Raleigh with
a bit of purple and turquoise trim as well as a very rusty Gitane.  
Does the age of the car say more than the name of it?