Does "stigma" affect your car choice?

[TDC]

Doesn't affect choice for me but I do keep it quiet at work.

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[bdub85]

I wouldn't be anywhere near as successful as I am today if I cared about stupid shit other people thought.

I've been a car guy all of my life and that will never change.

 

[Hack]

I do feel embarrassed about my car choices. I know it's a poor use of money. Also, today's societal values tend to blame people that make more money. Like it's my fault that I work hard? I don't brag at work about my 401k or Roth, but I wouldn't buy a new car without being on track for retirement first. Unfortunately the car choice is obvious because everyone sees it in the parking lot. Not much I can do about that.


Having said that, I'm still going to buy what I want and I drive it to work. Almost everybody at work knew I wanted a GT350 many months ago.


I do think that some people who drive Jap cars feel a little embarrassed as well when they realize that I only buy American. But I don't say a word about it to them, even when they say excuses like, "it was assembled in America." I try my best to be polite and non-confrontational with co-workers.

 

[mephim]

ell - oh - ell

I couldn't find a single fuck to give about what other people think about what I drive. I took my 911 one time for dinner with a client in town from Miami with my mgr and coworker. Somehow I ended up driving the client to his hotel. Told him all the great things about the car, gave him a little taste ... not only did we win the deal, but he bought one too.

Do not live your life in fear of other people's opinions.

I am not in fear of people's opinions. I am respecting the workplace and attempting to remain professional.

Your situation presents a client that I am sure was impressed. A guy 15 years older than me struggling to put his kid through college is not going to be impressed with my 60k car. And believe me, it would stand out.

 

[HizliBullet]

driving a car you like is like wearing what you like and outsider opinions will always either be good or bad. if you drive a honda you wont get complimented or criticized. if you drive a nice car you'll always get complements

 

[enzo101]

[ame]

This is pretty much my feeling about it lol.

 

[gravedgr]

I don't care what people think about me or what I drive either. It's not very likely I would have ended up ordering an orange car if that concerned me! In my office environment and with clients I don't have much choice but to prioritize discretion. It is not "living in fear" that people's opinions can have business implications in some situations, it is reality.

Fair enough. I can't imagine a situation like that, but everyone's situation is different.

:cheers:

I did 11 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and got paid big money for it - nobody says shit to me about my cars.

Thanks for your service!

 

[gravedgr]

I am not in fear of people's opinions. I am respecting the workplace and attempting to remain professional.

Your situation presents a client that I am sure was impressed. A guy 15 years older than me struggling to put his kid through college is not going to be impressed with my 60k car. And believe me, it would stand out.

Are you sure?

I agree - that is a tough situation, and you don't want to rub your success in the face of people less successful or going through a tough spot in life. I've been there. When I met my wife, I was so broke I was borrowing cash from one credit card to pay the minimum balance on another.

We have friends with similar levels of success, less success, and some who have struggled to get by at times. Rather than try to hide any of it, we were/are who we are and many of our friends have come to us for advice (especially the younger ones), which we gladly share along with help when we can. We help others as is possible while enjoying the fruit of our hard labor.

I completely understand being sensitive to friends, family and coworkers. My comments were not to people who are doing that, but more of an anti-PC statement. It's one thing to avoid saying/doing things deliberately meant to harm or belittle others; its another entirely to not do things/own things you are able to for fear offending someone (someone will always be offended).

So ... if you are being sensitive to a particular situation, more power to you; if you are worried someone, somewhere will take offense, I say screw them! ;)

 

[Rated R]

For years I was a Porsche guy. '83 SC, '87 930, '98 C4S and a '11 GT3. I was a member on Rennlist and went to a few Porsche track days. The pompous nature I witnessed at C&C's, the track and online was something I didn't care to be exposed to any longer. The local dealer has the same general air about them.

As a person and whatever persona or image I portray I just don't care to be involved with those sorts of people. I like dirt biking, camping, sport bike tracks days. Not country clubs, white linen dinners and waving my financial prowess to somehow find where I fit in to some sort of hierarchy. I can stand toe to toe financially with many of them but I found that a lot of those guys are dicks lol...

 

[Mustang Marcus]

I've only mentioned it to a few people and they are mostly "car people".
I work at a college and went to Christmas party last week that the VP of the school put on.
He is a nice guy and word on the street is that he ordered a fast car. I pulled him aside and asked about his ride. I was going to mention that I have a GT350 on order.
Turns out that he really isn't to cars and got a good deal on a BMW of some flavor so I dropped it.

 

[krt22]

Im a design engineer, so we are default car guys, so no stigma for having a sports car. I get more flak for my DD than anything else I drive.

 

[RC51]

You know its funny with what you guys are saying....I get the midlife crisis thing all the time when talking cars to "non" car guys...My response is this....especially for all you married men that this might happen too...

"My wife would rather it be 4 wheels than 2 legs!"
:cheers:
​

Its amazing how people can act when you tell them you drove a Huracan on a test drive.

Everyone thinks you are a snob when you want a high end sports car and took a few for test drives and must have money hidden away.....And when you tell them you want a Mustang GT350...then they act like everyone has a mustang and it's nothing special.:doh: no idea........

 

[G-FORCE]

IT IS NOT A MIDLIFE CRISIS!!! I've been this way about cars/motorcycles/etc, etc since i discovered them.

 

[gravedgr]

For years I was a Porsche guy. '83 SC, '87 930, '98 C4S and a '11 GT3. I was a member on Rennlist and went to a few Porsche track days. The pompous nature I witnessed at C&C's, the track and online was something I didn't care to be exposed to any longer. The local dealer has the same general air about them.

As a person and whatever persona or image I portray I just don't care to be involved with those sorts of people. I like dirt biking, camping, sport bike tracks days. Not country clubs, white linen dinners and waving my financial prowess to somehow find where I fit in to some sort of hierarchy. I can stand toe to toe financially with many of them but I found that a lot of those guys are dicks lol...

That's too bad. :( To be sure, there is definitely that element - but I always found it to be a small minority.

Now, we never went to a single wine tasting, cheese eating PCA event ever through years of membership. But at the track events I went to, the F-car, P-car, and any-car guys were indistinguishable away from their pit. You wouldn't know who owned what from talking with them.

Maybe its a region thing?

 

[Rogue]

I've only mentioned it to a few people and they are mostly "car people".
I work at a college and went to Christmas party last week that the VP of the school put on.
He is a nice guy and word on the street is that he ordered a fast car. I pulled him aside and asked about his ride. I was going to mention that I have a GT350 on order.
Turns out that he really isn't to cars and got a good deal on a BMW of some flavor so I dropped it.

If the VP is a true car enthusiast he would probably love to hear about your GT350. One of my coworkers who drives a BMW and never much liked domestic stuff raves about the new GT350. He is even now considering getting rid of his 335i for the new Focus RS. You'd be surprised how many new fans there are with Ford's latest lineup there is no denying it's innovation.

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