The school run car show
Discussion
I guess England and France must have a very different attitude towards displaying one's wealth.
I grew up in a very affluent part of rural France but there wasn't much nice metal on show. Most were dropped off in standard Clios and the like, and said clio was likely bought new and ran into the ground. New price of a Clio was probably only an hour's worth of work for the parent, but they just aren't interested in showing off.
Those who's parents were into cars did have nice stuff stashed away for the weekends, just not brought out for daily grind. However most of the wealthy families simply didn't care and bought a cheap car just because they needed to go from A to B and this was sufficient for them.
I grew up in a very affluent part of rural France but there wasn't much nice metal on show. Most were dropped off in standard Clios and the like, and said clio was likely bought new and ran into the ground. New price of a Clio was probably only an hour's worth of work for the parent, but they just aren't interested in showing off.
Those who's parents were into cars did have nice stuff stashed away for the weekends, just not brought out for daily grind. However most of the wealthy families simply didn't care and bought a cheap car just because they needed to go from A to B and this was sufficient for them.
I run past a private school two mornings a week. I commented to the Mrs yesterday morning that if you opened a Porsche and Land Rover service department next door you'd make a fortune.
On the education side of the conversation, when I was a lad the local private school was populated entirely by the rich kids who failed their eleven plus and couldn't get into grammar school. I don't know if that's still the case or even if there is an eleven plus these days.
On the education side of the conversation, when I was a lad the local private school was populated entirely by the rich kids who failed their eleven plus and couldn't get into grammar school. I don't know if that's still the case or even if there is an eleven plus these days.
You lot don't know you were born. I was the only child in the primary school whose father had a car 😯 He only had it because he needed it for work, and he was gone long before school started so like everyone else I had to walk. Secondary school was better, I travelled by Routemaster which was at least bigger if not more powerful than anything mentioned so far 😊
swisstoni said:
There are lots of nice ordinary people who send their kids to private school.
But there are also the appalling stereotypes who help create the reputation.
It's these exact types that think turning up in an expensive car and lording it outside a school actually impresses others. But there are also the appalling stereotypes who help create the reputation.
What they don't realise is most are not impressed at all and are thought of as a bit nerdy and goofy. The ones turning up in an old Primera will likely have everything bought and paid for and have absolutely no need or desire to try and pose.
The geeky mothers with orange tans, whitened teeth, botox duckbill lips and massive sunglasses will be in huge debt, guaranteed.
Chris944_S2 said:
I guess England and France must have a very different attitude towards displaying one's wealth.
I grew up in a very affluent part of rural France but there wasn't much nice metal on show. Most were dropped off in standard Clios and the like, and said clio was likely bought new and ran into the ground. New price of a Clio was probably only an hour's worth of work for the parent, but they just aren't interested in showing off.
Those who's parents were into cars did have nice stuff stashed away for the weekends, just not brought out for daily grind. However most of the wealthy families simply didn't care and bought a cheap car just because they needed to go from A to B and this was sufficient for them.
Quite sensibly the French remain entirely unimpressed with any display of conspicuous wealth and that's exactly how it should be. Completely the opposite in fact to a significant proportion of the UK population who know the price of everything and the value of nothing and are absolutely obsessed with money and grab every opportunity that comes along to adorn themselves with fashionable status symbols and bling in order to show off to each other how much they've got.I grew up in a very affluent part of rural France but there wasn't much nice metal on show. Most were dropped off in standard Clios and the like, and said clio was likely bought new and ran into the ground. New price of a Clio was probably only an hour's worth of work for the parent, but they just aren't interested in showing off.
Those who's parents were into cars did have nice stuff stashed away for the weekends, just not brought out for daily grind. However most of the wealthy families simply didn't care and bought a cheap car just because they needed to go from A to B and this was sufficient for them.
I had a few clients who were afraid to show their wealth in the UK for fear of the clients thinking they were being ripped off - which they weren't actually. A man with a stable of nice cars but a Honda Accord for business for example. In which of course he took the kids to the bus stop every day.
Jaguar steve said:
Chris944_S2 said:
I guess England and France must have a very different attitude towards displaying one's wealth.
I grew up in a very affluent part of rural France but there wasn't much nice metal on show. Most were dropped off in standard Clios and the like, and said clio was likely bought new and ran into the ground. New price of a Clio was probably only an hour's worth of work for the parent, but they just aren't interested in showing off.
Those who's parents were into cars did have nice stuff stashed away for the weekends, just not brought out for daily grind. However most of the wealthy families simply didn't care and bought a cheap car just because they needed to go from A to B and this was sufficient for them.
Quite sensibly the French remain entirely unimpressed with any display of conspicuous wealth and that's exactly how it should be. Completely the opposite in fact to a significant proportion of the UK population who know the price of everything and the value of nothing and are absolutely obsessed with money and grab every opportunity that comes along to adorn themselves with fashionable status symbols and bling in order to show off to each other how much they've got.I grew up in a very affluent part of rural France but there wasn't much nice metal on show. Most were dropped off in standard Clios and the like, and said clio was likely bought new and ran into the ground. New price of a Clio was probably only an hour's worth of work for the parent, but they just aren't interested in showing off.
Those who's parents were into cars did have nice stuff stashed away for the weekends, just not brought out for daily grind. However most of the wealthy families simply didn't care and bought a cheap car just because they needed to go from A to B and this was sufficient for them.
In the part of London I live in, where there's a very noticeable gap in the wealth, most of the flashier cars (BMW's, Mercs, Cayennes etc) seem to be driven by chavvier types who often come from the local estates.
Most of the posher type people who've recently moved to the area and paid £1 million plus for their houses seem to drive any old practical car (usually a KIA, Nissan, S-Max/C-Max or Volvo 4x4, never a Vauxhall). The one thing they all have in common is the roofbox or ski rack.
Most of the posher type people who've recently moved to the area and paid £1 million plus for their houses seem to drive any old practical car (usually a KIA, Nissan, S-Max/C-Max or Volvo 4x4, never a Vauxhall). The one thing they all have in common is the roofbox or ski rack.
Quite a few famous parents at my son's school. Jimmy Page used to drop his children off in a small, battered old Volvo. Apart from that, just the usual normal cars. At £3000 a term, none of us could afford anything decent!
Oh, apart from a Russian au pair who used to drive a bright orange Hummer. It was better than the telly watching her trying to park.
Oh, apart from a Russian au pair who used to drive a bright orange Hummer. It was better than the telly watching her trying to park.
Edited by 993kimbo on Friday 13th March 15:38
993kimbo said:
Quite a few famous parents at my son's school. Jimmy Page used to drop his children off in a small, battered old Volvo. Apart from that, just the usual normal cars. At £3000 a term, none of us could afford anything decent!
Oh, apart from a Russian au pair who used to drive a bright orange Hummer. It was better than the telly watching her trying to park.
At £3k a term I take it you drop them off on day 1 and pick them up a couple of months later? Oh, apart from a Russian au pair who used to drive a bright orange Hummer. It was better than the telly watching her trying to park.
Edited by 993kimbo on Friday 13th March 15:38
3K a term is buttons for a private school.
tales from the 80's and my private school days.
1 kid coming in a helicopter
1 kid's dad was a "grumbleweed" (remember them?) he'd get picked up occasionally in a very tasty e-type. of course not expensive or rare then- but still beautiful.
or in the hey day of group B rally cars- a metro 6R4 (actual world rally car) driven by its pro driver (who with permission) treated us to a display in the quad. (big tarmac bit in the school). imagine the health and safety nightmare with that these days.
I'll say we had better cars as 17/18 yr old new drivers, than the teachers themselves had cars !!
tales from the 80's and my private school days.
1 kid coming in a helicopter
1 kid's dad was a "grumbleweed" (remember them?) he'd get picked up occasionally in a very tasty e-type. of course not expensive or rare then- but still beautiful.
or in the hey day of group B rally cars- a metro 6R4 (actual world rally car) driven by its pro driver (who with permission) treated us to a display in the quad. (big tarmac bit in the school). imagine the health and safety nightmare with that these days.
I'll say we had better cars as 17/18 yr old new drivers, than the teachers themselves had cars !!
An observation I've made. I live in a small village, with a village state school. At school drop-off time each morning, we have new-ish (<3 years old) Range Rovers, BMWs, Mercs, etc, many with vanity registrations. Lots of 'status' cars.
Our kids go to a private prep school a few miles away. Most parents their drive lower spec cars, Renault / Vauxhaull / Kia etc, nothing showy at all. My 8-year old Merc looks positively flash by comparison.
I guess it's a question of whether or not you feel the need to 'appear' rich. From what I've seen over the years, most people who've really got wealth tend not to flaunt it, unless it's recently acquired.
Our kids go to a private prep school a few miles away. Most parents their drive lower spec cars, Renault / Vauxhaull / Kia etc, nothing showy at all. My 8-year old Merc looks positively flash by comparison.
I guess it's a question of whether or not you feel the need to 'appear' rich. From what I've seen over the years, most people who've really got wealth tend not to flaunt it, unless it's recently acquired.
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