Super rich may avoid super expensive cars due to bad image.

[t-rex]

Originally Posted by Wagon of Fury

Rich is relative. Some of the cheapest people I have ever met are 7-figure millionaires. People from "old money" typically don't have as much of a need to be pretenscious

Astute assessment, and more true than most realize. I've got bazillionaire relatives who give "thrifty" a new meaning.

I live mere blocks from the gozillionaire's antebellum mansions on New Orleans' St. Charles avenue, and it's funny because you're just as likely to see a Toyota 4Runner or Buick LeSabre parked in their driveways as you'll see a Benz or Bentley.

But drive out to the nouveau-riche McMansion areas out in the 'burbs, and it's bling city as far as the eye can see... not a Hyundai or Ford in sight!

[nota]

IIRC quite a while ago I saw it claimed that the most 'common' vehicle (as in ownership rates) amongst the USA 'rich list' was the humble Ford Taurus

[BigThreeForever]

Originally Posted by nota

IIRC quite a while ago I saw it claimed that the most 'common' vehicle (as in ownership rates) amongst the USA 'rich list' was the humble Ford Taurus

You know, I've read that about the Ford Taurus somewhere, too.

Even the mighty Warren Buffet had a relatively prosaic Lincoln Town Car. Not sure what he has now.

[t-rex]

Funny hearing about the Taurus! Years ago my shrewd and thrifty Uncle Pete, probably worth 8 figures if the truth be known, drove a '78/79ish Ford Fairmont... with a missing hubcap.

Not a fancy "Ghia" or "XLT" Fairmont either. It was the poverty-pack special with the vinyl bench seat and AM radio. And he never turned the a/c on unless he was stuck in traffic.

His wife, my Aunt Susan, however always had a late-model Eldo, Town Car, Mark-whatever, or Seville.

[PAULSTS1]

Originally Posted by BigThreeForever

You know, I've read that about the Ford Taurus somewhere, too.

Even the mighty Warren Buffet had a relatively prosaic Lincoln Town Car. Not sure what he has now.

He has a middle of the road (without GPS) 2008 Cadillac DTS. You can read about it elsewhere on this forum.

[usa1]

Awwwww. This is one more thing for the ultra rich to worry about. Poor guys.

Marl

[JerryL]

Some people, super rich or not , also worry about unwanted attention to their wives or kids depending on where they live or normally drive......car jacking for example.

[fp115]

That isn't at all true, otherwise you'd think that people would stop driving their Ferrari's, Hummer's, Maybach's,... in my area. Then again the most of them get chauffeured anyway.

[quinnp12]

all this means is that they drive a little, cheap(ish) car to public events and drive their lambos and bentley's the rest of the time

[lio45]

Originally Posted by nota

IIRC quite a while ago I saw it claimed that the most 'common' vehicle (as in ownership rates) amongst the USA 'rich list' was the humble Ford Taurus

Ken Thomson, who has been Canada's richest man for quite a long time IIRC, had an Olds Ciera as his main car back in the 1980s...

I think his heirs still are (or were, last time I checked) at or near the top.

[63GrandSport001]

Originally Posted by fp115

That isn't at all true, otherwise you'd think that people would stop driving their Ferrari's, Hummer's, Maybach's,... in my area. Then again the most of them get chauffeured anyway.

Its not going to turn into a complete stop in sales of these vehicles but a reduction in the sales of these vehicles which is what happened in the 1930s. Sales slowed enough that there were too many players in this market which made almost all of them either go under or change their products aim.

Rich people don't all go out and buy Lamborghini's and Ferrari's a large number of them will buy just a Mercedes S class and not one thats fully loaded. Hell I go into rich areas and see POSs parked in their driveway..........

[Wm Holden]

Originally Posted by 63GrandSport001

Its not going to turn into a complete stop in sales of these vehicles but a reduction in the sales of these vehicles which is what happened in the 1930s. Sales slowed enough that there were too many players in this market which made almost all of them either go under or change their products aim.

Rich people don't all go out and buy Lamborghini's and Ferrari's a large number of them will buy just a Mercedes S class and not one thats fully loaded. Hell I go into rich areas and see POSs parked in their driveway..........

That's the maid or the dealer.

[JerryL]

Wasn't there a bumper sticker in shops on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills....."My maid drives a Lexus" ??

[cyclone]

now they notice!

[AMERICA 123]

Depending on how it all goes, maybe Hummer has a bright future after all - with the updates developed for Iraq and the H1.

Rent collectin' could get interesting.