Cars/vehicles in your work

Really interesting to hear others opinions on this.

As for Jags being old men's cars...that's part of the appeal for me. But don't be fooled into thinking we're all nice. Hannibal Lecter drove the same kind of Jag I drive in the books...But I don't have a taste for human flesh. Yet.
And the idea of a car "series" - Matwoolf that's an interesting concept...Temped to try and publish a short story and see how it does.

Now for me, it's the opposite. It bugs the heck out of me not knowing what I'm meant to picture.

 

"We" don't know that. I don't have a clue whether a Mustang GT is a cheap family car or a sports car - I need the author to tell me.

 

It's really helpful to get your perspective. I'll make a note to go back and give the reader a bit more information about my MC's financial situation now.

 

I suppose this is a matter of target audiences. Since OP said it was a "slice of life" story, the significance of the car probably does need to be explained, but there are quite a few genres (thrilers, for one) where it's reasonable to expect that your audience either knows what you're talking about* or will pop out quickly and find out.

*and if they know what you're talking about, odds are they'll think that you don't, you %^$& idiot, a '68 Camaro is a far superior car to a '67 Mustang. How on earth am I supposed to believe that the hero would pollute his garage with a Ford!?!?!?

But I digress...

 

I don't think thriller readers know more than average about cars. My complete lack of knowledge or interest has never hindered me, and I'm a big thriller reader!

 

We really seem to be split down the middle at this - wasn't expecting to bring such controversy. I'm not a troll, honest.

 

Controversy? Start a thread about how good prologues are and you'll see WF controversy.

 

Well I think that they're rubbish.

*runs away from thread*

 

While my car knowledge is limited, if I were trying to convey that someone is wealthy and prestige/performance conscious, I'd probably be naming an import--Mercedes, Ferrari, whatever--rather than a Ford, Mustang or not. If I read about someone renting a Mustang? Honestly, my image of Mustang drivers isn't all that flattering. At least, not modern Mustangs.

I wonder if we could do a list? Like, what personality type/characteristic do we think goes with different kinds of cars?

Anyone else want to play? (No, I'm NOT procrastinating. I'm RESEARCHING. For a project I don't know about yet...)

 

As someone who agrees with your point, it amuses me that I have absolutely no idea what an Austin Metro is.

However, I'm bound by my previous posting to go find out.

 

I'm back. From Wikipedia:

I'm guessing 98kph might be a stretch for one of these?

 

Not if they are going down hill.

 

Len Deighton describes the E-type (XK-E to you across the pond) Jaguar as being a "hair-dresser's car" in An Expensive Place to Die.

BMW driver = pretentious type
Off-roader (unless covered in cow-manure) = pretentious person. (There was a Dragon's Den pitch for a company that proposed to make money out of putting fake cow-muck on your city-use only off-roader!)
Personalised number-plate (You pay good money to get your initials, or whatever, on your number-plate in the UK; I understand that it's a simpler matter in the US) = very pretentious person.

 

Which is my point exactly. The car model tells me nothing at all. I need other information to understand what the author is trying to tell me:

 

Kind of like these distressed, fake-muddy jeans Nordstrom was selling earlier this year for the low, low price of $425?

 

They look like something has shat on them. Repeatedly.

 

Mercedes - values quality, has the money to back it up
Toyota - practical, either by nature or necessity
Ford (new models, including, for me, Mustangs) - idiot - why the hell are you buying a damn Ford?
Ford (classic models) - gear head. More interested in the car than in conversation with non-gear-heads
Minivan - hockey mom
SUV - hockey dad

 

Ok...The pants are ridiculous, and now we know that they
look like someone crapped on them.

What about those lifted trucks meant for going four-wheeling,
but they are pristine and have no mud on them.
(Granted we call them a compensation thing. )

 

Those are called "mall crawlers"; "rock crawlers" not designed to be taken farther than the shopping mall parking lot.

 

On the other hand, there's a very real "wash the truck" culture in some rural areas (like where I live) in which a man would be mortified to show up for a date, event, church, or whatever in a dirty truck. Absolutely seen as a sign of respect to take the time to wash the truck before taking it somewhere "civilized".

So I wouldn't automatically assume that just because a truck's clean now that it's clean always.

 

Yup, but chromed skidplates are a dead giveaway. Lots of those in Cali and Hawaii.

 

Massive can of worms has been opened here!
I have very strong views about Mercedes drivers.

New Mercedes: Probably on finance. Owner probably works in marketing/sales.
Old Mercedes that's not been looked after: Probably cash-strapped, and desperate to look the opposite.
Immaculate old Mercedes: Probably a stuck up, minted old s**t in their 70s/80s who's had it from new and has the money to maintain it. "I drive it for the quality". Oh shut up.