The psychology of 'de-badging'

[Blown2CV]

a lot is talked about those that upwards re-badge their cars to be something they are not e.g. BMW 330 to an M3, covering mercs in AMG badges and so on. However, a manufacturer sanctioned 'badge-mod' is to remove the standard badge entirely. You have to make a conscious choice to opt for no badge as it's not the default config setting. So, i wonder why people do this. Clearly there are 2 camps:

1. I've bought the top model but i don't want to be a dick about it, so i've removed the badge
2. I've bought the entry model and I am hoping people will think I've bought something better

For 1, it's still obvious to pretty much anyone that would even remotely care that you are indeed driving the super-amazing and expensive variant, so is this just the hipster choice... pretending to be down to earth and a man of the people when in fact you know people will realise what you're driving anyway, so what does this say about the driver? For 2, clearly this guy is almost as bad as the guy that whacks M-sport, AMG etc badges all over his C180 or 320d.

Personally I think i'd just leave it on there - it's what i bought.

what do PHers think?

[Blown2CV]

interesting to see the emotion that gets attached to supposedly such simple or trivial things. On page 1 someone said i was overthinking it, yet in a few hours we've got 4 pages of debate, and it's even more detailed and nuanced than i thought! Also more than one poster has decided to lay into me despite me saying i would leave it standard... how dare i leave it standard what a dick i am!!

[Blown2CV]

TheEnd said:

Blown2CV said:

interesting to see the emotion that gets attached to supposedly such simple or trivial things. On page 1 someone said i was overthinking it, yet in a few hours we've got 4 pages of debate, and it's even more detailed and nuanced than i thought! Also more than one poster has decided to lay into me despite me saying i would leave it standard... how dare i leave it standard what a dick i am!!

You did call people who debadge cars hipsters, which is quite a strong insult.

if you actually read what i wrote, i only suggested this might be the case for the first example i used.

[Blown2CV]

BigBen said:

BaronVonVaderham said:

Anyone here debadged a super car or it it all just rep-mobiles?

I understand you actually have to pay a substantial amount to have prancing horse shields on the wings of a Ferrari, which makes no sense to me as they look gash.

supercar manufacturers generally offer an array of hugely expensive cosmetic-only options. Carbon cover here, badge there... all far more than they're worth and priced directly to tap into the money-no-object ponce.

[Blown2CV]

it's interesting that doing precisely the same activity (removing the model badge) can mean entirely different things depending on who you are or what car you own. If it's a lower model then you are a social pariah. If it's a top model then you're a saint. It's the same activity?

[Blown2CV]

cozmcrae said:

I'm thinking of de badging my old E34 M5 because you barely see E34s anymore let alone M5s so people will just think its a clean £1200 early 90s beamer. I want to go for the sleeper side of things as it does look like a standard E34 apart from the alloys and huge brakes. Does this make me a hipster in OPs eyes?

i dunno... possibly as a rule of thumb if you're doing it for your own purposes e.g. thinking it looks better etc then fine, but if it's because you are concerned what people think, or want them to think something else... not sure, dodgy ground

[Blown2CV]

JuniorD said:

P1H said:

I think I can close this one out....


Leaving your car badges intact - fair enough

Removing them for aesthetic purposes to de-clutter - fair enough

Removing them out of embarrassment for the model type - very sad

Taking them off because you have the audacity to think anyone at work/your life/the world gives a crap what engine you have - very sad

Replacing the badges with lower spec badges, rendering it a "sleeper" - very sad

Replacing the badges with higher spec badges - very sad (the worst)

Excellent summary.

i'd agree. I am sure there will be a massive argument though, starting..... now!

[Blown2CV]

Countdown said:

Afromonk said:

Personally I feel badging it lower spec/engine often makes plenty of sense.
Won't look as desirable to thieves, won't be in numerous traffic light grand prix, people won't expect you to show off and you won't get Joe Bloggs down the pub telling you inane facts about your car and what can beat it.

Surely a lower-spec badge would automatically make it

less desirable to thieves
involved in less traffic-light knobbery
not as show-off'able

No?

so would no badge

[Blown2CV]

Alex@POD said:

Blown2CV said:

1. I've bought the top model but I don't want to be a dick about it, so I've removed the badge

Personally I think I'd just leave it on there - it's what I bought.

So if you buy the top model of the range, you consciously make the decision to be a dick about it?

number 1 is not my view, if you actually read the post and stop trying to be a tool

[Blown2CV]

Alex@POD said:

Blown2CV said:

Alex@POD said:

Blown2CV said:

1. I've bought the top model but I don't want to be a dick about it, so I've removed the badge

Personally I think I'd just leave it on there - it's what I bought.

So if you buy the top model of the range, you consciously make the decision to be a dick about it?

number 1 is not my view, if you actually read the post and stop trying to be a tool

You only define 2 camps, so I figured you'd put yourself in one of them. Camp 1 debadges a car because they'd be a dick if they don't, that's what you wrote.

I'm not trying to be a tool, merely pointing out (albeit quite late given the length of the thread), that there are many reasons for debadging a car.

i gave 2 candidate reasons why i thought people might de-bage their car, asked what others though, and then went on to say i am not someone who would de-badge my car.

[Blown2CV]

22Rgt said:

Ref the 'sad' comments, its particularly sad to see a thread discussing psychology of removing a piece of plastic now into 15 pages. If only there were more important things for some to ponder over in their lives..

because the rest of the forum, and in fact forums through the entireity of the internet are chock full with golden insight, debate and ideas, only on the most high-brow topics and amongst their membership are nobel prize winners, innovators, mensa members and just mere geniuses. Or, perhaps, it's just about discussing things that are often just a bit of fun because this isn't our job, and cars are a hobby and a love for most. In contrast, looking at the topics you've created (and failed to gain any responses to) on such riveting topics as the central locking on your old mercedes and the colour of Audi A1 interiors I'd suggest maybe marque specific forums would be a better fit for you than PH. Sadly the contributors on those sites really make PH look like the Royal Institute. Good luck with that, and see ya round.

[Blown2CV]

CraigyMc said:

e21Mark said:

CraigyMc said:

Alex@POD said:

e21Mark said:

TooMany2cvs said:

servantleader said:

...and get new number plates made up to get rid of the dealer advertising!

So do you get illegal plates made up, or just "advertise" whichever car spares shop made 'em instead?

Are they the only choices?

Officially, yes, the plates must display who made them.

Before a certain date they didn't have to, so it'd be hard to prove for older ones.

Anyone know what date? I just bought, what I thought were normal, legal UK plates with just the reg' number. They're going on my 1981 car.

The requirement to have the manufacturer of the plate put their details on it only came in sometime in 2008, so you'll be fine.

wrong 2001 when the new reg format came in. You certainly needed the plate makers postcode then at least.

[Blown2CV]

CraigyMc said:

Blown2CV said:

CraigyMc said:

The requirement to have the manufacturer of the plate put their details on it only came in sometime in 2008, so you'll be fine.

wrong 2001 when the new reg format came in. You certainly needed the plate makers postcode then at least.

The RNPS didn't exist in 2001 - it started in 2003.

The UK wide legislation came into effect on 1st August 2008 under the Statutory Instrument called "Vehicles Crime (Registration of Registration Plate Suppliers) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/1715)".

Have a read of http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1715/made

Edited to sort out quoting

Edited by CraigyMc on Saturday 16th November 14:59

i definitely remember there being a requirement for postcodes when the current number plate system commenced, whether it was to be cross-referenced with a register or not. I can't find a reference to that though.