Who buys Luxury Cars?

Lewis Hamilton adn VettelSelf-centered, stubborn and argumentative men are more likely to own luxury cars, says study

What comes first? – your attitude and therefore the car you buy or does the car bring out something else.  David Brown report on some research from Finland 

Jan-Erik Lönnqvist, professor of social psychology, at the University of Helsinki says that previous research has confirmed that drivers of expensive cars are more likely to break traffic regulations.

But Prof Lönnqvist approached the question from a different angle by asking whether specific types of people are drawn to high-status cars

The answers were unambiguous: self-centred men who are argumentative, stubborn, disagreeable and unempathetic are much more likely to own a high-status car

It is this conclusion that made the headlines.  But we don’t want to stop good people buying cars that may have well developed safety features.

One of the more unexpected results was that another personality type is also drawn to high-status cars: the conscientious.

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About David Brown 607 Articles
David’s boyhood passion for motor cars did not immediately lead to a professional role in the motor industry. A qualified Civil Engineer he specialised in traffic engineering and transport planning. What followed were various positions including being seconded to a government think-tank for the planning of transport firstly in Sydney and then for the whole of NSW. After working with the NRMA and as a consultant he moved to being an independent writer and commentator on the broader areas of transport and the more specific areas of the cars we drive. His half hour motoring program “Overdrive” has been described as an “informed, humorous and irreverent look at motoring and transport from Australia and overseas”. It is heard on 22 stations across Australia. He does weekly interviews with several ABC radio stations and is also heard on commercial radio in Sydney. David has written for metropolitan and regional newspapers and has presented regular segments on metropolitan and regional television stations. David is also a contributor for AnyAuto