thegarageblog.co.uk : Pride and Prejudice – why we choose the cars we drive.

What makes us choose the cars we do, and what prevents us from opting for a certain brand that would actually make an excellent choice? Nowadays, there’s such a bewildering array of makes and models on offer from a huge variety of countries that it’s pretty difficult for an undecided buyer to make a decision. Of course, 30 years ago, the choices were a lot simpler but then so were the personal prejudices of the consumer that many marques would be excluded without even getting a brochure!

I always remember growing-up in the 1970’s hearing the term ‘Jap Crap’ used to describe any Japanese car. Admittedly, it was mostly from the fathers of my schoolfriends, but I never really understood why they’d shun the stunning Datsun 120Y in favour of a mundane Ford Escort.

I now know that a lot of people’s prejudice comes from their parents or grandparents views, particularly in relation to the events of World War Two and their position during the time. I can now understand why an American citizen (whos father spent much of 1944 on a Pacific island, knee-deep in mud and corpses whilst under constant attack from Kamikaze Japanese soldiers) might choose a Chevrolet Caprice instead of a Toyota Camry. Likewise, I’m sure there’s not too many Jews that lost family members during the Holocaust that are that keen to purchase the latest offering from Stuttgart or Munich when a Toyota Camry would do the same job! As with many issues here in the UK, they begin in the USA and gradually find their way across the Atlantic until we embrace their prejudices as thought they were our own. Sure, the early Japanese cars that arrived here in the 60’s and 70’s might have rusted pretty quickly, but at least they’d be guaranteed to start on a frosty morning. By dismissing the 1972 Datsun 1200 Sunny as Jap Crap and opting instead for a Vauxhall Viva, the British motorist ensured that not only did he have a car that wouldn’t be guaranteed to start on a damp morning, it would also be reduced to a rusty heap within a few years. At least the owner of the Datsun could enjoy some degree of reliability for a few years whilst the bodywork slowly turned a reddish-brown colour.

In Britain, we’ve always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with our nearest neighbours across the Channel, yet our love of all things French didn’t always extend to their cars. Whilst their wine, cheese and cordon bleu cooking may have tempted our parents throughout the 70’s, it was a bold move indeed to choose the mega-complicated Citroen CX over the similar Ford Granada. The Citroen’s hideously complicated hydro-pneumatic suspension and braking system would easily flummox the typical English mechanics of the 70’s, used to the post-war simplicity of our home-grown Fords, Vauxhalls and Austins. As a result, the Citroen CX was practically worthless as a secondhand buy, and was somewhat prone to leaving its owner stranded in a cloud of steam or a green puddle of LHM fluid thanks to a previous ‘bodge’ at the hands of an untrained grease-monkey. Of course, when they worked properly, the ride and performance of the big Citroen would surpass anything this side of a Rolls-Royce but I’d always hear people referring to them as ‘French rubbish’ for many years. The French always did small cars very well however, and the scores of owners of the original Citroen 2CV or Renault 4 genuinely loved the Gallic charm, simplicity and reliability of their little escargot! Nowadays of course, we can’t get enough of the French cars with happy Brits snapping-up Clios, Lagunas, 207’s and C3’s with all the vigour we usually reserve for Fiestas and Corsas.

It’s actually much harder to be prejudiced these days when it comes to choosing a car unless you happen to be an expert in global car production, platform sharing and shared development. If you don’t want to drive a Japanese car as your grandfather was a POW in Guadalcanal in 1944, perhaps it’s best you also avoid most Renaults and some Vauxhalls. A Renault Clio and a Nissan Micra are barely a few body panels and a badge apart, whilst a van buyer determined to not want to drive French rubbish might not wish to choose a Vauxhall Movano as it’s just a rebadged Renault Master. If you still harbour prejudices against the Germans, you’d better not just avoid the usual BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Porsche showrooms, but think carefully before looking at a Bentley or Rolls Royce! Whilst few people bear a grudge against the Spanish these days, their Seat brand is mostly Volkswagen, as is the blameless Czech Republic and their excellent Skoda range.

To confuse matters further, by boycotting certain foreign brands, we actually damage the only real car mass production facilities left in our country. Proudly made in Swindon, the Honda Civic and CR-V might make money for their Japanese parent company but provide thousands of jobs for UK workers. Nissans made in Sunderland give Geordies a great future since all the ship building ended, whilst in Burnaston, Derbyshire, 4000 British workers happily churn-out Toyota Auris cars and engines for the UK market.

In this truly global market, where car manufacturers ‘ hop into bed’ with each other to save on development costs and share technical knowledge to produce ‘world cars’ it’s much harder to base your car buying decisions on prejudice alone. Unless you hate a specific country that you know builds a certain car and nothing else, it’s difficult not to inadvertently buy something that’s ‘tainted’. Fortunately, I’m not prejudiced at all and would but anything as long as it was any good. Whilst I might not have any reasons to dislike say, Romania (apart from their Eurovision entry!), I’d still only consider a Dacia Logan if I couldn’t afford a ‘proper’ Renault. There is one car that I shall boycott at all cost though, and it’s not that I have anything against Korea. Dog lovers might shun the excellent Hyundai and Kia ranges on the basis that a nation known for eating canine flesh shouldn’t get their hard-earned cash. I however won’t be buying a Ssanyong Rodius anytime soon – not because I have anything against Korea, but because it’s quite possibly the ugliest car ever made!