Girly Cars

RobAMerc

One thing that really gets up my nose is the "Girly" tag that some cars get.

Why do people look at cars as girly ?
I mean some of the best handling little cars about have been described as girly leading me to think that maybe girls know more than blokes about cars. Surely that can't be right can it ?

The Ford Puma, Mazda Mx5, Porsche Boxster, Mini etc would all blow the doors of an Opel Astra - which is seen as a blokes car ??

If it were pink and had tassles I might agree other than that what makes a car girly ???

Anan1

Some cars just look feminine, the MINI being a good case in point. All other things being equal, i'd prefer to drive either a nondescript or a 'girly' car, on the basis that the less attention I draw to my driving the better.

Owen

Here's my new MINI for 2007, a new Turbo Cooper S with the official body kit. Mine's Blue with a White Roof though ... girly? I think they are until the kit is fitted! Still one of the quickest cars in it's class, and top handling and residuals to boot.

Anan1

That kit turns the best-looking car in its class into something akin to a chavved-up 91 Micra. Give me girly any day.

fletch

Kit looks okay at best.....lose the rear wing though!

Sandwich

ned78 wrote:

Here's my new MINI for 2007

Still girly to me despite the reasoning above. 'Girly' is just a subjective thing but 3 series compact, Puma, Beetle, Mini - they just are.

cantdecide

some of the most girly cars are a couple of choice mods away from being stunners. elsewhere in the world, the civic had a terrible name of being a grandad car. totally undeserved.

the low spec cars we get over here is always a little impotent and anonymous looking.

in other words, don't hate the girly car - hate the tight fisted driver instead!

Anan1

cantdecide wrote:

some of the most girly cars are a couple of choice mods away from being stunners. elsewhere in the world, the civic had a terrible name of being a grandad car. totally undeserved.

the low spec cars we get over here is always a little impotent and anonymous looking.

in other words, don't hate the girly car - hate the tight fisted driver instead!

A lot of the girly cars are stunners. Just look at a standard MINI Cooper S. And most people who really do drive fast want their cars to be 'a little impotent and anonymous looking'. It makes life easier with the Guards and assorted boy-racers we share our roads with.

cantdecide

i wouldn't regard the cooper S as a girly car at all.
Favouring a girly little Mini One (or any other entry level pile of poop) over the cooper S because you're a little bashful is just irrational.
de-badging your M3 is a good way of trying to avoid boy racer encounters.

Savman

Sorry, just couldn't see myself looking "cool" in it...

bazz26

I think the whole concept only exists if you are really bothered by what other people think of you by what car you drive.

Anan1

cantdecide wrote:

i wouldn't regard the cooper S as a girly car at all.
Favouring a girly little Mini One (or any other entry level pile of poop) over the cooper S because you're a little bashful is just irrational.

I don't think you read my post properly...

Manic Moran

Ford Ka convertible. 'nuff said.

I think the current Beetles with the flower vase probably count as well.

And of course...


You have to be -really- sure of your manliness to drive around in that one.

NTM

Guy:Incognito

I seem to remember the last girlie car thread decended into every car ever made that wasnt an executive saloon being labelled girlie, everyone has an opinion.

In fairness though, the Micra cabriolet wasnt ever going to be directed towards the male buyers.:)

Ernie Ball

As the driver of a car many consider 'girly' (mark 3 MR2), I've given some thought to this. It seems to me that the single factor that makes cars 'girly' or 'manly' is the configuration of the front end. If the car (headlamps, grill) looks 'smiley' then it will be considered 'girly' by some. If it looks like it's frowning and has headlamps that look 'evil', it will be considered manly.

A case in point.

Here's the front end of a stock, pre-2003 Mk 3, MR2:



Although the grill doesn't form a 'smile' the headlights do look like 'bright eyes.' I think the manufacturer was trying for some sort of male/female crossover appeal. In 2003, they redesigned the front so it looked like this:



Now it's got a smile. More 'girly'.

TTE make an aftermarket front bumper for this car, though. It looks like this:



That single mod, with the grill that is now 'frowning', makes the car instantly (IMO) non-girly.

Of course, such labels matter only if you care what others think.

cantdecide

i think if the car is a small convertible, it has a real hill to climb. especiallly if they have any degree of daintiness about them. if they don't have aggressive styling, they're doomed. most cars can be transformed by an upgrade from the standards wheels. i recently saw an MX5 that looked like a doomsday device. just the wheels were upgraded to 17".
i can't wait to see a modded 307cc.