Exotic car buyers
Posted by: Grahame
29th Jun 2009 11:47pm
What defines a person who buys a Ferrari as opposed to a Maserati? What about a person who buys an Aston Martin? What about a Bentley? Or a Jaguar? Or a Lamborghini?
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Comments 29
simmo
I would say a person who has more money than he really needs and possibly honestly deserves.
lpullman
That's a pretty extreme judgment there Simmo. I know a number of exotic car owners who are perpetually broke from keeping their toys on the road. I also know a number who worked bloody hard and can now indulge themselves. Finally I know several schmucks who are just showing off - none of whom drive anything I'd regard as exotic, strictly Benz, BMW and Jaguar.
You sound a little jealous. You're not a frustrated Ferrari fan are you?
spoof
If we lived in a state controlled environment we would only have one type of vehicle, so in reality Exotic cars are an imperialistic and democratic ability we have chosen from living in the places we do. The choice of vehicle we buy is only limited to the amount of money we wish to spend on it, and the choice of car is what the buyer desires depending upon that amount. I think in general it shows a flamboyant attitude to own any exotic car purely for show, no different that putting on your best suit to impress that special person.
lpullman
I thought about your first sentence for a while and I don't think you need a state controlled evironment for that. I think the big car makers would cheerfully reduce their lines and rebadge the same floor pan if they thought they'd get away with it. Remeber the Mazda 323 / Ford Laser? Holden Apollo / Toyota Camri? GMs biggest selling car in the US these days is a rebadged Hyundai (or is it Daiwoo?)
I also don't think many of us made the choice, more luck of the draw. And I'll put a big question mark over "imperialistic" (that word you keep using, I do not think it means what you think it means)
Now as for being for show, that's one of the things that really annoy me: people who never drive them. For Christ sake! That what the thing is for! I've put many thousand kilometres on every vehicle I've owned - most on the exotics 'cause they're more fun to drive.
rob
they like good cars and to be noticed
mermaid
Definitely someone who has an eye for classic brrm brrmmss whatever the reason I don't believe all owners reflect financial status. I have a friend who is a millionaire and drives a ford territory, his wife a classic VW they remain real people!
For me I'll stick with my 63 Chev impala made for cruising and is pure happiness!
lpullman
63 Chevy! Class, that is. American car makers really lost their way sometime around 1970.
I agree that the car you drive is no longer a guide to your financial status. Taste perhaps, but not disposable income. Cheap credit and leasing have seen to that. I know more than one millionaire and only one drives anything interesting and he's a genuine collector (24 cars an 31 motorcycles in his garage). I also know a finance clerk who's pride and joy is her Benz E320, a school teacher who's just bought another Alfa (diesel this time), a financial adviser with a 70s Corvette and a bulldozer driver who's spent an insane amount keeping his 69 Mustang fastback on the road.
Personally, I've found that the purchase price of 80s German "prestige" vehicles is so low that the cost of ownership is similar to poverty pack hatchbacks over three years. I'm currently tooling about in a BMW MSport and eying off a 735 in a yard: neither will cost you 10 grand for the best one in the country.
Addressing the original question: the difference between Ferrari and Maserati buyers I suspect is product knowledge. It's the same as the difference between Rolex or Omega buyers and IWC or Panari buyers. The latter probably knows more about the options in the market rather than buying the only thing he's heard of. Buyers of the less well known option are also looking for something different to what everyone else has.
Having said that, Ferrari is a bad example because they do command a huge following amongst enthusiasts.
simmo
Having driven almost every brand of car i think ferrari is an over priced sowing machine ,maserati,which one the every day ones are unreliable.Jaguar good car but cant give them away,aston martin great car but overpriced they all have their problems .So in the finish it comes down to what you like,and who cares what people think,walking is a good way to keep fit and healthy and as yet the police havent put a speed limmit on that. Or have they.
lpullman
I seriously doubt you've even come close to driving half the available brands of car, mate, let alone amost every one. Driven a Duesenberg? How about a Hispan Suiza? Simca? Elf? I can't stand stupid statements like that, it pegs you as an ignornamous. Frankly you sound like, to misquote the Blues Brothers, you've driven both types of car: Ford and Holden.
I'd never describe a Ferrari as in any way like a sewing machine, but overpriced, yes. I don't think they've done anything really interesting since they became a wholely owned subsidiary of FIAT. Excepting the F40 and the 612 Scagletti...
Maseratti unreliable? Whoed have guessed? Certainly not anyone with any knowledge of their history.
If you have a Jag that you are having trouble giving away, I'll take it off your hands for nowt. Just let me know where I can collect it.
Astons I'm kind of torn on - on the one hand the David Brown era cars were amazing (for their time) and the early V8s (the Osca India cars) increadible to drive. The modern "Jag-in-Drag" Astons are associated with rich bogans and yobs. The "little" V8 is nice - I know a bloke who owns one, but he won't let me drive it - but there's still that image problem.
I think you really have to discount the price element of these cars. If you can afford one then price is not the point. The OPs question was nothing to do with what other people think - was about why people like one particular exotic rather than another.
Lani6
I'd like to point out: I don't know a single girl who judges someone by what car they drive. However, when I answered my male friends when they asked what new car I bought, they just shook their heads. I think I lost respect haha.
Dogs
Thank heavens some-one invented the wheel !! Otherwise we would have never been able to assess the character of our family, friends or neighbours.
My gawd ! I don't believe I'm reading this :)
Dogs
I suppose it is that, from time to time, I am amazed that, unlike some people, I'm not perfect and do have some failings. I guess, unlike some, that makes me only average :) Then again maybe I'm too judgemental.
lpullman
So why were you so disbelieving that you were reading this?
Dogs
Believe it or not - a great many people in our society do judge others by their possessions. Advertising is a thriving industry for a very good reason.
lpullman
I don't quite believe you wrote that :-)
Yqsymnx
Personal preference and financial situation.
lpullman
Yes, quite true but also completely unhelpful. WHY the personal preference?
peterv
You've got it in one!
Anonymous
one word just defines it: IMAGE.
but since i like to rave on i will... As a car lover and very observant person, i find that certain cars are for the masses and certain cars have something particular about them that just makes you want to be different from everyone else.
Take for example - the masses dream of owning a BMW or Mercedes and recently Audi... these are brands which are sold in masses in Australia as they are more affordable in AUS than europe (believe it or not, its true) and i find that they loose their prestige as everywhere you go there's at least one in basically every metropolitan st in aus and anybody's are driving them.
If you look at say Saab, Alfa and Volvo (still made in thier country of origins), i have found that these cars offer the same level of excellence and in alot of cases even better value as the German trio (which 2 of them are made in south africa, and the other an over price VW which shares with Skoda).
These 3 (saab, volvo, Alfa) also have a certain style, a zing we could say that says "i have taken time in choosing what i want and realised there is more than just the 3 german brands", these people, i have found have their own sense of style, elegance, and open minded and away from the pack but still fit in. No doubt the germans are the bar raisers in the industry, but some cars just come out of that bubble and respond to peoples feelings, instead of just sterile metal which works till only 100,000km and turns on you like a vulture looking for its daily feed.
but if i was told asked, do i want a ferrari or a maserati... for me it would be an obvious choice to have a maserati as they have ferrari engines anyway, with the added practical space and because its not the mainstream choice for people with endless cash to splurge on thier next toy. if i had that kinda money id buy a Koenigsegg CCX or a Bugatti Veyron
lpullman
Another thought: BMW, MB and Audi are certainly no longer exotic. Someone told me recently that the biggest selling four door in the UK was the BMW 3 series. I lived in Stoneyfell (think leafy, eastern suburbs) and every second driveway had a BMW in it. Made me want to sell mine and buy a Toyota :-)
The German makers have been very good at setting themselves up as the aspiration of the masses. Almost by definition this invalidates them as exotic.
lpullman
Heh, heh, I nearly bought a Ferrari 308GTB steel body once. Seriously, if I'd had the money I'd have bought that little red rocket on the spot. That car just pushed all my buttons and I'd never even liked Ferrari until then!
If I was in the market for a $200,000+ four door the Maserati Quatroporte would be my choice, just edging out a BMW M5.
shachah7
The person may be defined as being financially successful with a keen interest in cars. Which brand is personal taste.
donitik
oh really??? there are some people who drive expensive cars because they want to be seen as UP THERE...
especially those who wants to drive those yuppie branded cars!!!!!
Grahame
And what about Porshe too?
lpullman
Heh, heh - a mate's Dad had an Audi, the fuel injection developed a fault and he took it to a specialist to get it fixed. He was very chuffed parking it amongst Benzs, Porsches ,etc at the workshop. Cars he regarded as genuinely exotic, not like his daily driver Audi.
Anyways, someone has to shuffle cars to make room and tells the apprentice to move something out of the workshop. He jumps in , zooms backward and takes the rears out of a whole line of parked cars 'cause no one told him that car had the brake master cylinder out...
The only car unscathed? The cheapo Audi.
marc97au
I agree they are not exotic to my mind as I've still got two Porsches, a V12 Mec an Audi and a few other all are toys, buy the right car second hand at the right price and they are better value than Holden HSV etc. I have had Ferrarri, De Tomaso, Corvette, too many Porches, GT Falcons and lots of others but never any vandalism except for stolen bonnet badge once and some one tryng to force a lock at the drags. I don't bother locking some of the cars as who is going to steal them and get away with it in Adelaide.
marc97au
I agree they are not exotic to my mind as I've still got two Porsches, a V12 Mec an Audi and a few other all are toys, buy the right car second hand at the right price and they are better value than Holden HSV etc. I have had Ferrarri, De Tomaso, Corvette, too many Porches, GT Falcons and lots of others but never any vandalism except for stolen bonnet badge once and some one tryng to force a lock at the drags. I don't bother locking some of the cars as who is going to steal them and get away with it in Adelaide.
jatz50
I think my car is Exotic and its only a Holden Astra. My ex had an old Holden FC. He thought that was an exotic car. Extinct to me though. I remember a time, when my Brother in law bought an audi (think thats how its spelt). He would park it outside our place and never lock it up. Times have sure changed.
solstice
What defines these vehicles as Exotic? I have a Porche and have owned a Ferrari and never thought of my cars as exotic they were exspensive toys yes but never exotic/ If my ex wife thought they were exotic she would have taken them as part of the settlement instead of the house and most everything else. The mai issue with owning a prestige car is the vandal factor sadly there is always someone ready to vandalise the car as they could never afford one. After owning one for many years the novelty has worn a lot due to the vandal factor and i am considering a bomb so they will leave the cars alone