Keeping up appearances without being boring.
Discussion
SturdyHSV said:
To try to help explain, I presume OP felt a bit like turning up to a board meeting in a tracksuit.
Sure, wear whatever makes you comfortable, your image is you, not your clothes, the losers in the power suits are the ones who should be embarrassed, that's all great, but the other people aren't insightful free thinking worldly wise individuals. They'll probably be sniggering at your crocs and Adidas stripes when you leave, whether it's justified or not.
Of course, as the head of such a bouyant multi-national conglomerate you can simply choose not to do business with such people, but perhaps OP just has to play the game by the unspoken rules in order to feed his family, just like the other poor b
ds in their suits and executive saloons.
To answer your question OP, for £5,000 you could just rent a BMW for the day every now and then quite a few times? Keeps the capital for the house move too
No, because on PH then that doesn't workSure, wear whatever makes you comfortable, your image is you, not your clothes, the losers in the power suits are the ones who should be embarrassed, that's all great, but the other people aren't insightful free thinking worldly wise individuals. They'll probably be sniggering at your crocs and Adidas stripes when you leave, whether it's justified or not.
Of course, as the head of such a bouyant multi-national conglomerate you can simply choose not to do business with such people, but perhaps OP just has to play the game by the unspoken rules in order to feed his family, just like the other poor b
ds in their suits and executive saloons.To answer your question OP, for £5,000 you could just rent a BMW for the day every now and then quite a few times? Keeps the capital for the house move too
He either:
- Turns up to the board meeting in a £600 Dolce & Gabbana tracksuit, which shows how much he earns because everyone else is wearing a crap £150 M&S Suit that they bought off the peg, he spent 4x as much and so must be 4x as good.
- Goes to the gym wearing a £30 George @ Asda suit, because it is made from polyester and why would he need to spend £50 buying polyester that has been woven into a "tracksuit" shape just to fit in.
No in betweens are allowed to happen whenever this talk of a "conservative company/work car" comes up.
I fully understand your situation with looking the part.
If it was me I would go with a nice example of a E46 BMW 3 Series, up to you which engine and body style etc.
Either that or a BMW Z4 if you want a convertible.
Of course I am biased to BMW, but most German cars should be enough for what you are after.
If it was me I would go with a nice example of a E46 BMW 3 Series, up to you which engine and body style etc.
Either that or a BMW Z4 if you want a convertible.
Of course I am biased to BMW, but most German cars should be enough for what you are after.
Lowtimer said:
Don;t go newer, go older.
An old Merc, if straight and shiny, will always looks as if it fits in.
Random example (not picked with any care, just top of the google list)
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C857002
/ThreadAn old Merc, if straight and shiny, will always looks as if it fits in.
Random example (not picked with any care, just top of the google list)
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C857002
One of the most stylish car of that era, bar the R129.
This one oozes class and will not look out of place anywhere!
Also if looked after properly the will go forever.
I'd go with the original 15"(?) wheels tough...
Filibuster said:
/Thread
One of the most stylish car of that era, bar the R129.
This one oozes class and will not look out of place anywhere!
Also if looked after properly the will go forever.
I'd go with the original 15"(?) wheels tough...
16" I think, for that year, but yes. Ditched the 18s off my R129 when I bought that and was very glad to see the back of them in favour of a new set of 8-hole 16s.One of the most stylish car of that era, bar the R129.
This one oozes class and will not look out of place anywhere!
Also if looked after properly the will go forever.
I'd go with the original 15"(?) wheels tough...
Filibuster said:
Lowtimer said:
Don;t go newer, go older.
An old Merc, if straight and shiny, will always looks as if it fits in.
Random example (not picked with any care, just top of the google list)
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C857002
/ThreadAn old Merc, if straight and shiny, will always looks as if it fits in.
Random example (not picked with any care, just top of the google list)
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C857002
One of the most stylish car of that era, bar the R129.
This one oozes class and will not look out of place anywhere!
Also if looked after properly the will go forever.
I'd go with the original 15"(?) wheels tough...
to think that he's now trying to be flash in his fancy Mercedes!
I'm beginning to understand this anonymous car requirement.
What car can you buy that says absolutely nothing about you - perhaps the low range BM or Audi is the answer after all.
austinsmirk said:
Hoofy said:
austinsmirk said:
the assistant chief ex of the company I work for, cycles to work.
I cycle a lot too: we talk about bikes and the ride in etc, when in the changing/shower rooms, as well as work.
he must earn 4 x what I do: no one is asking where his image projecting car is.
Yes, but he spent £5000 on a bicycle, didn't he? I cycle a lot too: we talk about bikes and the ride in etc, when in the changing/shower rooms, as well as work.
he must earn 4 x what I do: no one is asking where his image projecting car is.
actually, no- as we're Yorkshire men, we both got £1000 bikes on the cycle to work scheme ! maybe its different elsewhere-in the country, but as an example, one of the lads who works for me has a 3.0l petrol bmw 5 series.
he is endless taken the P out of, with his expensive, costly, hard to run and unreliable car. now on here (PH world), he's a driving god. in the real world- what an idiot for having a car like that. no one is impressed. there's some very wealthy people here (at work)- no one is tooling about in fancy motors showing off impressing other light footed men. all anyone asks him is, why haven't you got something sensible and diesel ?
another good example- as well as being employed, I have another business. my business partner got rid of his bentley. too flash and didn't like the attention it brought. we're quite grounded in Yorkshire
jimmydash said:
Your image is you. Drive what you want. If someone wants to be negative about what you drive you can't control that. I did consultancy for many years and drove flash cars every time coz I want to!
I must admit, I am starting to cave in; my car is the oldest in the works car park and is a shed, yet I am fairly senior. The problem comes when I go to customer sites, I feel it doesn't present the correct image. So far I use the works pool car, not sure how long this can go on forAlthough I have to admit, one of our customers was overjoyed when he found out I was a fellow shed owner!
Yipper said:
Low-mileage Porsche Cayenne, circa 2004 to 2008, lowered slightly on sportier springs (they ride high), and with a subtle private plate. Can be done for under 10k and looks like a 20-30k posh SUV to ~90% of people. A good biz tool for low money.
IMO it looks tacky, out of date, out of fashion and something a self employed scaffolder would buy.austinsmirk said:
the assistant chief ex of the company I work for, cycles to work.
I cycle a lot too: we talk about bikes and the ride in etc, when in the changing/shower rooms, as well as work.
he must earn 4 x what I do: no one is asking where his image projecting car is.
Bet you dry his sweaty balls for him with a soft towel I cycle a lot too: we talk about bikes and the ride in etc, when in the changing/shower rooms, as well as work.
he must earn 4 x what I do: no one is asking where his image projecting car is.
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