Flashing Etiquette
Discussion
snuffy said:
When I used to own a Lotus and then a Noble it was the done thing to flash another owner if you spotted one on the road ( of course, I mean whilst driving your own, otherwise you look like a bit of dick ! ).
Anyway, is it the same for AM drivers ?
Only if your wearing a dirty old rain coat. A Barbour mac is preferable. otherwise, use your headlights. Anyway, is it the same for AM drivers ?
snuffy said:
When I used to own a Lotus and then a Noble it was the done thing to flash another owner if you spotted one on the road ( of course, I mean whilst driving your own, otherwise you look like a bit of dick ! ).
Anyway, is it the same for AM drivers ?
Lotus and Noble drivers are driven by poor people, thats not the done thing in Aston circles my dear boy, you have now moved up a class!Anyway, is it the same for AM drivers ?
An Aston driver simply acknowledges another with a very subtle nod of the head whilst peaking the ol' deerstalker.
AdamV12V said:
Lotus and Noble drivers are driven by poor people, thats not the done thing in Aston circles my dear boy, you have now moved up a class!
An Aston driver simply acknowledges another with a very subtle nod of the head whilst peaking the ol' deerstalker.
Would this be appropriate attire ? An Aston driver simply acknowledges another with a very subtle nod of the head whilst peaking the ol' deerstalker.
DB9 Ian P said:
I think they are pretty rare. Every three weeks or so I go from Devon up to Lancashire over the weekend to see my parents and am lucky if I see 3/4 Astons on the trip. Given the number of cars I see on the 550 mile roundtrip I think that is rare!
How many Nobles do you see on the same trip...?Actually, I think it's more than rarity. To acknowledge someone based on a shared car generally requires two 'enthusiasts' or petrolheads.....a lot of Aston owners probably aren't; they just drive an Aston.
johnnyBv8 said:
Actually, I think it's more than rarity. To acknowledge someone based on a shared car generally requires two 'enthusiasts' or petrolheads.....a lot of Aston owners probably aren't; they just drive an Aston.
Being sensible now, I think thats probably hit the nail on the head. PH Aston owners would probably quite happily flash or wave, I know I would, but your average Aston owner probably has very little automotive enthusiasm. 
For the Lotus Esprit, they only made 10,000 covering all models ( S1 in 1976 or so right up to the V8s finishing in 2002 ). So seeing another Esprit was not very common. But it's the done thing to flash any Lotus model, no matter which one you have.
For the Noble, they only made around 750, so there are maybe around 500 in the UK. In 6 years of owning mine I think I only saw 2 or 3 on the road !
So in that context the AMs are not on the same scale.
For the Noble, they only made around 750, so there are maybe around 500 in the UK. In 6 years of owning mine I think I only saw 2 or 3 on the road !
So in that context the AMs are not on the same scale.
johnnyBv8 said:
How many Nobles do you see on the same trip...?
Actually, I think it's more than rarity. To acknowledge someone based on a shared car generally requires two 'enthusiasts' or petrolheads.....a lot of Aston owners probably aren't; they just drive an Aston.
Probably 1/2 on average. I see more Ferrari's than Astons. Not sure of your point as they are all rare.Actually, I think it's more than rarity. To acknowledge someone based on a shared car generally requires two 'enthusiasts' or petrolheads.....a lot of Aston owners probably aren't; they just drive an Aston.
Sad that you think about Aston owners like that - nearly all I know are enthusiasts and petrolheads - maybe I'm just lucky.
I always flash my headlights at other Astons! In fact I flash them at loads of marques if the car is sufficiently interesting enough or displays a Pistonheads badge - ferraris/nobles/classics, whatever. It's just a friendly way to say "love your choice of car!"
Besides, the worst that can happen is they ignore you, but in my experience it's always well received.
Besides, the worst that can happen is they ignore you, but in my experience it's always well received.
Rarity has nothing to do with it at all! We used to get flashed and waved at all the time when we had a Beetle, the last time I checked, they seem to have sold a lot of those!, same for the Mini, Stag,etc etc if you are an enthusiast you will wave or flash, if it's your company car, you probably wont......simples
RIB27 said:
I always flash my headlights at other Astons! In fact I flash them at loads of marques if the car is sufficiently interesting enough or displays a Pistonheads badge - ferraris/nobles/classics, whatever. It's just a friendly way to say "love your choice of car!"
Besides, the worst that can happen is they ignore you, but in my experience it's always well received.
+1 I actually get flashed in my Classic Range Rover, too, by other range rover drivers. Besides, the worst that can happen is they ignore you, but in my experience it's always well received.
Always give a small fingers lifted wave when I see another, there is about a 30% response rate. I notice that has gone down over the past few years as the become more common. Also as someone mentioned many are bought by poseurs and not car nuts, poseurs never wave, they are too busy doing their hair or what ever.
DB9 Ian P said:
Sad that you think about Aston owners like that - nearly all I know are enthusiasts and petrolheads - maybe I'm just lucky.
I don’t think it should make you sad…! The fact is that cars like those of Noble, TVR, Lotus, older Landrovers etc often require the driver to make a significant compromise – e.g. driving a car that is loud, rattly, difficult to get in/out, impractical etc etc. If someone is making these types of compromises to drive the car they want then they are far more likely to be an enthusiast, and by extension be receptive to reciprocating a ‘flash’ or wave. With the Aston (and I find the same with my Maserati to a lesser extent), the cars can be owned without having to make significant compromise, and the demographic of owners is therefore wider - some ‘just drive an Aston’ because they can and will be bemused by anyone that thinks owning the same car gives any level of shared ground/common interest.
johnnyBv8 said:
The fact is that cars like those of Noble, TVR, Lotus, older Landrovers etc often require the driver to make a significant compromise – e.g. driving a car that is loud, rattly, difficult to get in/out, impractical etc etc. If someone is making these types of compromises to drive the car they want then they are far more likely to be an enthusiast, and by extension be receptive to reciprocating a ‘flash’ or wave. With the Aston (and I find the same with my Maserati to a lesser extent), the cars can be owned without having to make significant compromise, and the demographic of owners is therefore wider - some ‘just drive an Aston’ because they can and will be bemused by anyone that thinks owning the same car gives any level of shared ground/common interest.
An interesting point, Johnny. I think the "significant compromise" with an Aston is the initial cost. If you're the kind of person who has barely noticed the cost of an Aston slipping out of your bank account then perhaps you are less likely to be an enthusiast.When I'm in my 7 (Caterham, not DB) I tend to wave at any classic I like the look of. A return wave could be just an acknowledgement, a brief moment of sharing the joy of driving something a little different or enjoying a drive rather than just transporting yourself from A to B. I rarely get a return wave from Morgans - perhaps it is just transport to their owners(!) or maybe they've been on the waiting list for so long. ;-)
In my V8V I've had a single Aston return a wave so far in my few months of ownership. Oh, and a very confused Caterham owner who I vaguely knew!
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