Of course the "statement" factor works both ways here too.

I bought my Prius in 2002 - I'd already decided that my next car would be a
hybrid, so when my civic got stolen I didn't have much trouble getting the
new car.  At the time I was running an environmental organization.  You
wouldn't believe how much my credit rose with my NGO colleagues when they
heard that I drove a hybrid!  :-)

Joy

****************************************************************
Joy Hecht
and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon

For musings about life and the vanadventures:
http://www.joyhecht.net

****************************************************************

:::-----Original Message-----
:::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
:::Of Jens Jakob Andersen
:::Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 11:07 PM
:::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
:::Subject: Re: OT: Friday: Gas price war / costs of road trips
:::Importance: Low
:::
:::Hi Jim
:::
:::Very interesting input.
:::
:::I hadnt thought of the statement factor.
:::
:::Yes, we have that too in Europe, but over here small fuel-efficient
:::cars can also be a statement :-)
:::
:::But with the prices, all over europe being high (and having been that
:::for decades) - manu drive sensible cars.
:::
:::Yes, I think that there are about 5 Hummers in Copenhagen in total -
:::and you will have to drive very far to get good use of them :-) And I
:::saw an Ford Excursion yesterday - boy is it huge.
:::
:::Yes, they are statement cars - "I am RICH, you're not" :-)
:::
:::Apropos statements, I have a friend in Texas (land of oil);
:::http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/8938/brad/brad.html
:::who drives a 386 cc Citroen 2CV.
:::
:::We went to a Crackerbarrel in it, and in the parkinglot people
:::gathered - asking "What is that".
:::
:::Brad opened the hood,showed the tiny 2 cylinder aircooled engine (you
:::can lift it out one mand in one hand, maybe with a beer in the other
:::hand for balance), told about the volume of it, and its 18HP, and someone
:::said:
:::"Oh. My lawnmover got a bigger engine than that".
:::
:::Brad also drives a few other very nice Citroens - and then has an old
:::Suburban for backup :-)
:::
:::But again - I believe that the time of gasoline is goind over in our
:::time, that we are not seeing an "oil-crisis" that will end like the
:::ones in the 70'es, that what we are seeing is the beginning of the end of
:::oil.
:::
:::Remember, long before oilwells run out, large stockpiles will be
:::reserved for airline industry - the rest of us can move to electric
:::or biodielsel, but aircrafts needs very pure gasoline........
:::
:::Jim, it was a good insighht into why americans drive BIG cars - thank
:::you.
:::
:::Happy DriVWing
:::
:::Jens Jakob
:::P.s. Who is a bit kept off driving by the gasoline prices, but even
:::more by the fact that where I live there are way to few parkinglots,
:::so if I've been out driving, and come home in the evening, I can use
:::more than 30 minutes driving around to find a parkinglot - sometimes
:::it even can take me up to an hour!