There’s a crude saying that goes Bros before Hos which as we all know means that buddies don’t put women before friendship. It’s generally heard in singles bars. The question is, if you were to ascribe to this mantra, would it apply even if you’d never actually met the Bro?
That’s the question for today; are you loyal to – meaning a general supporter and advocate of – a particular automotive brand or model, even though you’ve never owned one? Everybody liked BMWs right? But few can afford a new one, or to maintain an old one. That doesn’t mean though that some of us don’t eagerly await the introduction of the next unobtainable model. Does that apply to you? Where do your unrequited loyalties lie?
Image: Shankman
Hooniverse Asks: What Automotive Brand Are You Loyal To, But Have Never Owned?
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65 responses to “Hooniverse Asks: What Automotive Brand Are You Loyal To, But Have Never Owned?”
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My first thought is kind of a fudge. I’ve never personally owned a Ford, but my folks had a ’96 Explorer that I learned to drive on. However, the Ford of today is a different animal from the Ford of the early-mid 90s, and I have found myself vehemently defending just about everything they make, despite having never plunked down my own cash for one.
Secondly, I’m a pretty big fan of the Jag. I nearly get into arguments with the missus when I point out one in public and she expresses her disappointment and/or lack of being impressed. And for no good damned reason other than the fact that my dream garage includes an original XJ-S V12 coupe to stare at and a rat motor-swapped XJ-S coupe to hoon.-
Most of their vehicles have been very high quality, for the last 20 years or so anyway. I would exempt the 6.0 and 6.4 Power Strokes (lots of problems) and the 2-valve and 3-valve 5.4 Tritons used in the trucks.
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interesting, remember when ford and Jag had a thing going on? their joint efforts could have culminated in your dream car…
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I’d say the concept of loyalty requires a real life connection between desire and object, doesn’t it?
On the other hand, I have that eternal desire for a GAZ 24 that was shaped when I was a little boy and this was the pinnacle of automobiles you could actually see on the road.
https://b-a.d-cd.net/4b5fe04s-960.jpg-
Very pretty, in that 1960 Ford Falcon kind of way.
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Ford. Never owned a Ford, but I believe that you can’t go far wrong with any new Ford. (I eagerly await reading the contrary position.)
On the other side, I’ve never owned a Chrysler product, but I’m pretty sure *no one* should ever own a Chrysler product without a warranty. It’s like Range Rover, without the prestige and the nice service waiting rooms. -
Mazda…though I’m currently looking for a 6 wagon with a manual…not exactly common you could say.
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I’m with you on this one. I’m 100% on board with the company ethos, does anyone remember when they did ZoomZoomLive events? I’m sure I’ll own a Mazda some time as a result of them letting me spend hours floggin their cars around an auto-x course. I would have bought an RX-8 at the time, but the fuel economy/reliability was a dealbreaker. I overheard a number of RX-8 owners at the event talking about the status of their replacement engines…which was concerning.
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It was that sort of event that sold me on a Mazda2 when it finally came time to buy a new car.
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Totally with you. I met the executives a few years ago at a star mazda race in indy and they were really down-to-earth and into racing. Props to them for being the only independent manufacturer left in america (tesla and elio notwithstanding)
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Studebaker. Good, honest cars, with some good ideas, like the bolt-on rear quarter panels used in their ’60s sedans. And hey, Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee) drove one.
http://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/09-08-2012-084.jpg-
Came to say the same. I will have a Speedster or one of its descendants.
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Yes. I’d like a Land Cruiser, please.
http://auto.samondeo.com/images1/studebaker-land-cruiser-1.jpg
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I’d say Saab, but I owned one for 2 months until I sold it to someone (for more than i bought it for, long story.)
So I will go with the other Swede, Volvo.
I have yet to own one, but I look at used ones constantly and occasionally the new models.
The true brad loyalist in me is in it for Kalamazoo, MI so I want a Kalamazoo Checker to go with my Kalamazoo Gibson so I can go play in the garage drinking Kalamazoo beer.
But I’m weird.-
Bells? Arcadia? Dark Horse? All of the above?
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I actually knew Larry Bell before his stuff was bottled. And I do enjoy his stuff.
Arcadia is funny because they were Battle Creek before moving, and their beer is more than decent. I can get Arcadia in NJ, but Larry refuses to deal with NJ, so i can’t get his despite it being better and more consistent than Arcadia. Dark Horse is Marshall, at that point I’d rather get Founders from GR.-
I’m pretty sure you can get Bell’s around me if you ever need a fix and find yourself crossing the Delaware.
My Gibson’s from Memphis :/-
Yes you can. I will occasionally stop out there to get some.
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That whole side of the state is just one big keg for me.
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Hey man, my ’87 244DL is for sale. Fly out to Seattle & drive it home!
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Never.
I own a Ford and I would buy another if the deal was good, but I’m certainly not convinced these are the penultimate cars.
I’d buy another 944 because I know so much about their quirks now, so maintaining a second one would be easier, but I don’t like the Porsche brand, what it stands for, and the family BS behind it.
I didn’t own any other car brand, but would be interested: currently, I’m looking into Lexus, Saab, Volvo as a Ford replacement, in a year or three.
Any recommendations on a 5+ year old wagon with ESP (wife’s demand) that’s sane to service/repair by oneself?-
Your wife wants your car to be clairvoyant?
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It would go well with the registration we reserved, ECTO-2, she said.
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Jetta wagon with the 2.5 is supposed to be pretty simple, right?
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I was born in V-dub county, but lost touch. I I’ll look up that engine, whether it’s been available in Europe. The US Jetta is different from the RoW I heard?
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Oops, forgot you were in ‘Yurp. I believe the 2.5 is exclusively a North American spec engine (a 2.5L Inline Five – stout and torquey, and supposed to be fairly reliable, but a bit thirsty).
As for the Jetta wagon, as I understand it, we got the MkV, and then the MkVI wagon was just an updated MkVI (but not really related to the current North American spec sedan – it was even renamed the Golf Wagon here in Canada). Now that we’re up to MkVII, it’s fully in line with the MQB platform the rest of the world gets. Not that any of this really helps your quest though.-
right, non I5 for the Kindom of Yurp. The 2.3L VR5 20V is a different level of complexity, I guess.
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Aston Martin. Despite
(or more likely because of) never having owned one, I hold it up as the epitome
of what a grand tourer should be. There
are probably GTs that are better, but loyalty isn’t about reason, it’s about “reasons”. Aston Martin is the best because reasons. -
the cars, never had one. but have owned 12 of the motorbikes and put down thousands of miles ( down to only 3 now ). Some of the big Goldwing wannabee flagships have problems, as well as the rotax powered stuff – the flat twins are fine machines
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one of my drawings ( kindof )
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I advocate for Mazdas, although the closest I’ve come to owning owning one was a 95 Escort. I also really like Land Rovers, despite the legendary lack of reliability of recent ones, there is something about a Series III or Defender that will eventually put one in the driveway. I’m also with jeepster on BMWs, I love the motorcycles but the modern cars leave me cold.
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Ohh yeah, forgot about the Series III ! have owned many Jeeps and Jeepsters, and FJ40. Never had a Land Rover and always wanted on of them also, diesel, left hand drive. Say – any of you knuckleheads have an old FJ45 sitting around you need me to haul off ??
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Tesla, absolutely – I’m not about to defend them as the next best thing, but I’m totally on board with a company that’s managed to shake things up so much, and made a successful, desirable (and relatively compromise-free) electric car on just their second attempt.
Mercedes-Benz (at least your traditional, bank vault MB) just hits me the right way, and I will own one eventually. Just not now.
And, I love how Subaru’s managed to remain just a little weird, a little different. -
I guess the closest I’ve come is BMW, but I own one now so that doesn’t count. I really like Aston Martin, Jag and Land Rover, but not to the point where I will defend them against all faults as a rabid fanboi.
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I was about to say “none” because I’ve owned and generally enjoyed a lot of different car brands. That said, I had a strong flirtation with Subaru and Saab in the 90’s as well as the first-yen Taurus SHO. Still notice the rare survivors on the road, and when I see a Saab 9000 I wonder what might have been…
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Where are you that you see first-gen SHOs?
I own one, and it’s the only one I can remember seeing personally. They do pop up on Kijiji, but I just don’t see them on the streets.
In fact, I can’t remember ever seeing another Yamaha (1989-1999) SHO, ever, and trust me, I’m looking!
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Mazda. I love how they do cars but haven’t owned one. Maybe someday I will. The same can be said for Volvo, actually.
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I don’t know if there’s an entire brand that this would apply to, but I do know a specific model. Namely, I’ve never met a Buick Riviera I didn’t like and I’m pretty sure if a new Riviera was unveiled tomorrow I’d pine for it just like the others.
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All of these are too rare for me to buy in the foreseeable future, but I still freak out when I see Beaumonts and Bricklins at car shows. (I have yet to see a Manic, but I would freak out if I did.)
Bricklin:
http://bangshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/bricklin1.jpg
Manic:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Manic-GT-courtesy-theautounion.net_.jpg
Beaumont:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Beaumont_Acadian_Coupe_(Orange_Julep).JPG
Can you tell I’m Canadian?
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No Passport Optima? Ok then.
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Lamborghini. I’ll never own one, but a tiny part of my soul dies every time someone complains about the discomfort/impracticality/handling of the early cars, or perpetuates the “Lamborghini owner” stereotype. I want my supercars to come in bright colors, look like spaceships, and spit fire, dammit!
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There was a time not all that long ago when used Lamborghini ownership was within the grasp of the merely well-to-do. Countaches were trading for $70k 10-15 years ago. Jalpas could be had for $25k. Now, a Jalpa will set you back $70k, and I haven’t seen a Countach for under $200k in quite some time.
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I think we’ll find Gallardos will get reasonably attainable, reasonably soon, especially now that the Huracan is here. Just checking my local Auto Trader, there’s a few just a little over the $100k mark (about $80k us).
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Let me see: 70k in 2000, 100k today, that’s 30k in 15 years.
Would 2000 dollars per year (on average) be enough to keep a Countach in shape? Call me a pessimist, but I do indeed have my doubts… -
That’s a good point. I wasn’t even thinking about the Gallardo. The Gallardo might actually have a longer wait to start appreciating than other Lamborghinis, as well. Didn’t they make more Gallardos than all other Lamborghinis ever made?
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Not sure I have a car answer to this, but I definitely have a Tuesday answer: Moto Morini. I love them all, from the elegant little 98cc Sbarazzino of the ’50s to the 2C, 3-1/2 & 500 V-twins. I so love them all and have for 35 years. Owning one is still on my bucket list.
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/uploads/new/5184177.jpg
http://raresportbikesforsale.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/sport-right.jpg-
Beginning in the late 40s Italians propagated a genre of small displacement sports racing cars under many small brands, collectively referred to as the “etceterini”. Was it the same for bikes?
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here’s one for you, i an a Nissan fanboy, but have never owned one. but i have owned Datsuns…
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Jeep. Specifically, an XJ Cherokee.
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Like an Eagle with 900% less bullshit.
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EXACTLY.
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If you would have told me this last Friday I would have sold you mine. We’ve since made up and I love her again.
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Alfa Romeo.
I’m Alfisti at heart, but I’ve yet to own one. Once I have a stable income and my own garage, I intend on changing that.-
Agreed.
In my fantasy world, that fancy new Giulia will be my first new car.
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Mercedes. If I can get the wife squared away with the Volvo I bought her for winter, and sell my Cressida and my FJ1200, then I’ll buy the best mid-80s ‘Benz I can find. Looking for a 420SEL or an E-class.
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“I just want a car that’s really nice and reliable”
Lexus. Every time.
The only Lexus product I’d buy is an old LX450 or a used GX470/60 if there aren’t any FJ80s or 4Runners available that day. -
If I have to make a sweeping commitment to the entire output of a marque, I’m torn between the Cheston L. Eshelman Company and the Mohs Seaplane Corporation.
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How about Spagthorpe?
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I’ve always wanted to own a high-end Lexus – leave the modified Camrys at home and give me an LS sedan or one of the old SC 300/400 coupes.
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Saab. I always cheered for Saab, always wanted them to survive, always wanted to own a Saab, and, even though being mainly a Volvo guy, always wanted to visit the Saab museum. Someday the dream will come true and I will have a Saab, be it a true one or an Opel in disguise…as long as it was manufactured in Sweden, that is…
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Lotus. Especially their submarines. Jaguar, too. But never rich enough, or bold enough, to jump into that end of the motor pool.
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As a high school kid, I hated Fords and I now own Ford numbers 2 and 3. They’ve all 3 been good cars. I was a big GM fan and 2 of the 4 GM cars I’ve owned were bad, and one of the others (Saturn Outlook) had a poor reputation but I sold it before it could bite me.
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Buell. Despite having never actually ridden anything more than a tiny dirt bike in a grassy field.
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Lamborghini for me. Ever since I received a Diablo in 1:18, it’s ignited my love for psychotic Italian machinery, as well as collectible scale models.
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Citroen. Because my Saab hasn’t died yet.
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