High and Low
Just turn on the news or pick up a newspaper and it’s obvious: America is a country with economics on the brain. Leaving aside the strife on many American streets and campuses over what many describe as a sort of battle between the supposed haves and have-nots, the average vehicle buyer is wondering how much money it’s wise or appropriate to spend, and whether buying an American car will help the U.S. economy substantially more than buying a foreign brand, especially as many foreign brands are partially manufactured stateside.
Meanwhile, consumers with a bit more cash to spend may be embarrassed to purchase more lavish high-end vehicles, particularly from such overseas manufacturers as Mercedes, BMW. and Rolls Royce. Pluses like deluxe interiors, V12 engines, air suspension and all the rest may seem like showy indulgences in a time when many are concerned about more basic needs.
Even the extremely wealthy are taking note and, according to a recent New York Times article, are deliberately purchasing very large but relatively nondescript vans while spending enormous amounts on turning the interiors into what amounts to moving living rooms that hide their luxury from prying eyes.
Of course, you don’t have to be a member of the top percent of the income scale to want to drive a car with a bit of luxury to it. Not everyone whose car comes with lots of extras could exactly be confused with mega-billionaire Mr. Burns of “The Simpsons” or, for the older folks, plummy Thurston Howell III of “Gilligan’s Island.”
The fact of the matter is that even the Homer Simpsons and Gilligans of the world want to drive nice, luxury-feature laden cars and, for the sake of the economy, it’s probably better if very wealthy people trick out their automobiles with expensive extras rather than simply banking all of their income. After all, most of the the people who sell and make the cars with the fancy engines and air suspension and who install the expensive aftermarket extras are definitely folks who can use the work.