Middle class chap car of choice in your manor
Discussion
magic Monkey Dust said:
I live in wealthy suburb where nearly everyone is upper middleclass. its seems all the middle aged chaps around here have bought into the BBC nightly propaganda . Although nearly all are wealthier than me they seem to drive mild bland hybrids, last gen Vw polo's, poverty spec entry level BMW's and the odd Mercedes. The big no no's are diesel or v8's. My car choices stand out more than they ever did 30 years ago when the whole area was Jaguar xj's, BMW v8's and Porsches.
What makes them upper middle rather than middle?MC Bodge said:
Why are you so apparently sensitive about this issue?
If you are not one of the people described above, which doesn't include everybody who owns an expensive car, it was obviously not aimed at you.
It doesn't matter who it's aimed at. I don't particularly post in response to something I feel is aimed at me or not, that's not important. I don't care.If you are not one of the people described above, which doesn't include everybody who owns an expensive car, it was obviously not aimed at you.
As I said I find sweeping statements silly, but I have no issues if you don't.
nickfrog said:
Jaguar steve said:
- and of course living in Essex - assures me there's definitely a Loadsamoney ethos among certain sectors of spending to the max for no other reason than to show off.
Of course there is. No one ever said otherwise.Can you however accept that on a driving and car centric forum some people will spend decent money on cars because they're into driving and into cars? And that they don't do it to upset you, or to show off. And that proportion of people may be far greater than in the general population, particularly in Essex.
I think the "scratching every last penny to show off" is a myth.
MC Bodge said:
nickfrog said:
Personnaly I don't even notice what other people spend their money on. You should try it.
...but you do regularly notice when people make comments about it.
nickfrog said:
MC Bodge said:
nickfrog said:
Personnaly I don't even notice what other people spend their money on. You should try it.
...but you do regularly notice when people make comments about it.Uncle Meat said:
I'm seeing an increasing number of brand new VW 'campers', everyone has to staycation now!
I'm amazed they cost from £50k to £80k for basically a panel van that you use to tow around a chemical toilet.
The panel van can be anything from £30-45 k before you even convert it though. I'm amazed they cost from £50k to £80k for basically a panel van that you use to tow around a chemical toilet.
Unless yr getting into classic super cars, probably the only vehicles out there that hold their value no matter what. Have a look for Vw campers for sale for 30/40 k. You’ll be shocked.
MC Bodge said:
nickfrog said:
MC Bodge said:
nickfrog said:
Personnaly I don't even notice what other people spend their money on. You should try it.
...but you do regularly notice when people make comments about it.Leon R said:
You post all the time about how you have given up on owning anything nice and how it is so liberating but the shear amount you post about it while simultaneously looking down on those who don't buy into your way of living sounds more like the actions of someone who is trying to reassure themselves that they are happy with their decisions rather than someone who actually is.
No, I don't post all the time but it can't be denied selectively giving up really is liberating and, sure there's always some reassurance in testing your beliefs against others but the end goal for anybody should be achieving peace of mind. There's no peace of mind whatsoever to be found in relentlessly keeping up with the neighbours and precious little from leaving a shiny expensive car in an airport car park for three weeks, but there is perfect peace of mind in ignoring the neighbours or leaving a scruffy cheap one in the same car park.
I'm increasingly of the mind owning nicer stuff that that which serves a purpose is always a double edged sword, especially if it's vulnerable in the way an expensive car is, and that vulnerability all too often draws you away from peace of mind rather than toward it.
Rather than slavishly following everybody else falling victim to materialism you can decide for yourself of course. But if you want peace of mind then take you have to take ego and status needs right out of any decision first.
nickfrog said:
Of course there is. No one ever said otherwise.
Can you however accept that on a driving and car centric forum some people will spend decent money on cars because they're into driving and into cars? And that they don't do it to upset you, or to show off. And that proportion of people may be far greater than in the general population, particularly in Essex.
I think the "scratching every last penny to show off" is a myth.
Can you however accept that on a driving and car centric forum some people will spend decent money on cars because they're into driving and into cars? And that they don't do it to upset you, or to show off. And that proportion of people may be far greater than in the general population, particularly in Essex.
I think the "scratching every last penny to show off" is a myth.
I do absolutely accept that.
My opprobrium stems from the people who buy cars to show off with, not from those who buy them to enjoy driving. There's clear blue water between the two and in the manner in which they drive and behave toward other people on the road.
Uncle Meat said:
I'm seeing an increasing number of brand new VW 'campers', everyone has to staycation now!
I'm amazed they cost from £50k to £80k for basically a panel van that you use to tow around a chemical toilet.
Interesting there are two on the adjoining roads to ours. Both youngish families, ie school age kids.I'm amazed they cost from £50k to £80k for basically a panel van that you use to tow around a chemical toilet.
As someone whose cars are between 11 and 17 years old, I find the best way to avoid giving the impression that I am bothered about people as a result judging me to be poor is to not constantly bang on about driving old cars and about how much better that makes me than people who drive new cars (apropos my baseless and prejudiced assumptions about their motives, assets, and character).
Otherwise one invites a response of "The lady doth protest too much, methinks"
Otherwise one invites a response of "The lady doth protest too much, methinks"
spreadsheet monkey said:
what car do you see on the road and think "that guy must be a proper car enthusiast" or "he/she must be into their cars"
E39 5-series?
MX5?
Anything 30+ years old?
Anything Alfa or Saab?
Anything Lotus?
None of these cars are something you buy accidentally or because you just want cheap transport.
It is obviously not clear cut, but the above probably would suggest that yes. In recent years, people driving cars >10-15 years old are probably doing so more through choice rather than the necessity of poverty.E39 5-series?
MX5?
Anything 30+ years old?
Anything Alfa or Saab?
Anything Lotus?
None of these cars are something you buy accidentally or because you just want cheap transport.
I suppose it is anything that is a bit out of the ordinary or quirky, that might be considered to be good in some way (handling, steering, rarity, performance, ride, engineering quality?), even if not fashionable, expensive or a halo model. If an older car, probably well-maintained and, in some cases, on a set of tyres that cost almost as much as the car is worth. Functional mods?
Maybe anything that requires more effort than dropping it off at a dealer for a service every long variable interval?
On this very subject, I did see an immaculate, polished. but fairly ordinary(possibly described as OEM+), 1990s Mk3 Astra 1.4/6? on period Vauxhall alloys a few weeks ago, driven by a man in his mid-late 20s and a woman of similar age in the passenger seat. I was intrigued by his choice of car.
Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 28th June 12:57
otolith said:
As someone whose cars are between 11 and 17 years old, I find the best way to avoid giving the impression that I am bothered about people as a result judging me to be poor is to not constantly bang on about driving old cars and about how much better that makes me than people who drive new cars (apropos my baseless and prejudiced assumptions about their motives, assets, and character).
Otherwise one invites a response of "The lady doth protest too much, methinks"
Don't bang on about it, just whisper a little Otherwise one invites a response of "The lady doth protest too much, methinks"
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