WHAT YOUR CHOICE OF CAR SAYS ABOUT YOU

OK, with that title we’re on thin ice…admittedly. But, before your heart starts racing be assured this is a rather harmless article, without the slightest intention of offending anyone – at all!

Many years ago, I heard that saying “the way you arrange and design your home reflects your soul” and well, there’s something to it although our interiors also have a lot to do with our budget, priorities, etc. However, all those things again reflect, where we are, at which stage in life and that is a part of our soul (however we want to define it).

Essentially, the whole thing goes back to semiotics, also known as the science of signs or the study of signs. A sign is something that represents something, like money or a portrait painting: Money was meant to represent a specific amount of gold and was supposed to be interchangeable as such just like a portrait painting is supposed to represent the person depicted but neither IS money gold, nor the painting the person. There is more to semiotics, and at some other time, we would happily go deeper but for now, let’s just see that we identify what we see in certain ways. Which is why there is fashion, not just clothing: we express ourselves through what we wear besides just covering our skin to protect against cold.

We express ourselves through how we live.

That involves architecture, interior, fashion, and yes – our choice of car.

With that, what does your car say about you? Well, that’s in the eye of the beholder but when we look closer we will find that a varying majority will interpret a sports car as a need to show off, an old-timer as a prove of great style and an off roader as…

hmmm…

Well, as what indeed?

So, the studies and articles are not very clear of that. While studying the perception of specific brands, sizes and colors, “off road car” isn’t much mentioned – there you have your gap in the literature! one of the most comprehensive studies is https://itspubs.ucdavis.edu/publication_detail.php?id=309 from 2002, where we learn: “Vehicle types are classified into 6 categories: four-door sedan, two-door coupe, van/wagon, sports car, sport utility vehicle (SUV), and pickup truck.”

Going deeper, we find that “Off Road Vehicle” is abbreviated ORV and synonymous with “4×4” and too much of a niche for car makers today to be of much interest for research. So, it gets typically lumped into the SUV category.

So, what does an off road car say about you? That you’re highly individual, totally niche, not fooled by marketing, not subject to research and we can only gratulate you on all that! Well done, good for you – kudos.

Thank you for reading, we hope you check back soon and frequently.

Truly yours,

K.H. Kayser

Kayser is a designer and economist, holds an MBA and is currently working on his doctorate. He taught art and design at the Anhui Xinhua University in Hefei, China and authored and co authored various books, studies and articles. He lives so remote outside of Guarda, that there isn’t even a street name.