Petrolheads v's Enthuiasts v's Rich gits

Capri

With so many classics around I've seen all types driving them - IMO the 'Petrolhead' would know every change of light lens , colour codes etc , the 'Enthusiast' would know the Model but maybe not the finer details relating to engine changes etc. , but, IMHO the worst is the 'Rich git' that just buys something so he has something to waffle on about at dinner parties but has SFA knowledge or ability :mad:
(Case in point, former boss of mine shows up in his 'classic' I-6 Mustang - this is a guy who normally drives, and regularily dings, a 141 XJ :rolleyes:, asked him a few relevant questions, ZERO knowledge )

Are we to welcome all to the fold or just avoid the RG's

rugbyman

If it were not for the RG's who bought the Gtis, Coupes, GTs, Sprints, Convertables, anything with the name Karmann, Abarth, Cooper etc etc we enthusaists would nit have the stuff available to buy now. Yes 7ndeed, we need RGs!!

Capri

rugbyman wrote: »

If it were not for the RG's who bought the Gtis, Coupes, GTs, Sprints, Convertables, anything with the name Karmann, Abarth, Cooper etc etc we enthusaists would nit have the stuff available to buy now. Yes 7ndeed, we need RGs!!

Well I suppose when they 'throw away' their toys at bargain prices I won't object but it's not always RG's who bought Karmanns, Abarths, Coopers in the first place, there were some who scrimped and saved to buy the car they always wanted but could never afford, others though would just buy their wives a new GTI / Karmann etc even if she hadn't any appreciation of the 'value' of the car :mad:

Agricola

Apart from who bought what on day one, it takes "rich gits" to keep some very rare and valuable examples on the road/show circuit. I like my shows and if they were packed with only Escorts and Cortinas, I think I'd be going to a lot less of them. I certainly wouldnt have seen some beautiful old cars in the metal here in Ireland, if it werent for rich gits, god bless 'em!

Capri

What I was trying to say was that some 'Rich gits' haven't a clue about what they are buying/driving and care less, then there are other 'Enthusiasts/Petrolheads with money' who know and treasure their machines

ba_barabus

I know where Capri is coming from. I'd also like to add Tax Enthusiasts to the list. There is a group who run classics simply to avoid paying higher rates of motor tax. They have no knowledge of or sympathy for the cars. They run them until a serious fault arises then park them up and move on. That really grinds my gears as it leads to good cars becoming scrap.

goochy

the fact ur boss drives a jag xj means his a car guy , could have gone for s class like so many do who have no real interest in cars. not everybody is obsessive about details of a car but can still appreciate a nice cars

mickdw

goochy wrote: »

the fact ur boss drives a jag xj means his a car guy , could have gone for s class like so many do who have no real interest in cars. not everybody is obsessive about details of a car but can still appreciate a nice cars

The fact that he regularly dings the xj means he is most certainly not a car guy.

Capri

Sorry,I wouldn't agree he's an enthusiast, maybe he likes the 'image/heritage' of Jaguar but even though I like SOME Jags ( XK120 LT2 ,Mk IX, Mk II, V12 E-type FHC, XJ12 Series1,XJ8 ) there are other 'Jag' drivers that I'd happily run off the road :rolleyes: And as for the X-type (Mondeo) or diesel Jags :mad:

alastair

Lot of snobbery at play here. Why not let people (rich, poor, or otherwise) enjoy their cars regardless of their level of technical expertise? And no-one requires running off the road for their particular choice of car. :rolleyes:

swarlb

You could argue that Jay Leno (as an example) is a Rich Git and an enthusiastic petrolhead at the same time.
I've found 'petrolheads' to be quite narrow minded, and only focus on what they actually like themselves. The enthusiast is just that, and would be quite happy browsing a bookshelf of car material, as well as travelling to see a collection in a far off land.
Rich Git has an implication which is not very balanced. The assumption being that just because someone is rich, they somehow are clueless oafs, which they clearly are not (certainly where money is concerned)
It's not a very valid argument.

jimgoose

Capri wrote: »

Sorry,I wouldn't agree he's an enthusiast, maybe he likes the 'image/heritage' of Jaguar but even though I like SOME Jags ( XK120 LT2 ,Mk IX, Mk II, V12 E-type FHC, XJ12 Series1,XJ8 ) there are other 'Jag' drivers that I'd happily run off the road :rolleyes: And as for the X-type (Mondeo) or diesel Jags :mad:

Yes, there was more wailing and gnashing of teeth from the "Purist" department over the X-Type than over the first Chris Bangle "Kryten" Beemer back around 2008. What makes a Jag a Jaaaaag - the quietness, the sense of endless acceleration, the general well-appointedness of the thing? So a 3l AJD-V6 is not Jaaaaag? What about an X-Type with a 3l AJ-V6? 2.5l? Or are all these uncool because they're essentially Ford engines? My own one is actually a Lincoln LS in a party frock, so we're upmarket blue-collar. Mafia, possibly?? :pac:

Dades

swarlb wrote: »

You could argue that Jay Leno (as an example) is a Rich Git and an enthusiastic petrolhead at the same time.
I've found 'petrolheads' to be quite narrow minded, and only focus on what they actually like themselves. The enthusiast is just that, and would be quite happy browsing a bookshelf of car material, as well as travelling to see a collection in a far off land.
Rich Git has an implication which is not very balanced. The assumption being that just because someone is rich, they somehow are clueless oafs, which they clearly are not (certainly where money is concerned)
It's not a very valid argument.

Jay Leno is the polar opposite of what the OP is getting at. He has a passion for cars and knows his way around them. He doesn't just collect them to drop the fact at dinner parties.

At the same time, I don't think you have to have oil on your hands to run a classic. If you can afford a nice Mustang, ignorance of how it works shouldn't be a barrier to ownership. Good for them not buying a 3-series.

Of course a bullshitter masquerading as an enthusiast is a terrible thing.

ps Love the term "Tax Enthusiast".

Plane

I know rich guys who always buy a nice car and like their cars. They are seriously into their cars and know most the stats off the top of their head of most cars in the class.
No idea what the stats mean but they know them, this doesn't mean they are not into cars it just means they have no technical interest or know how.

Doesn't make them any less of a "car guy", just because I'll take anything apart for fun and they don't even own a toolbox doesn't make us completely different. Just means we like it from different angles.

I think fair play to the rich guys, he has the cash to have himself a nice new car and enjoys it.

MercMad

goochy wrote: »

the fact ur boss drives a jag xj means his a car guy , could have gone for s class like so many do who have no real interest in cars. not everybody is obsessive about details of a car but can still appreciate a nice cars

I'd consider myself to be a petrol head through and through and have restored many cars and work on the constantly. That's enough experience to make me choose an S-Class over a Jaguar anytime !!

I do get what the OP means though, but in my world there is enough space for every kind. I don't need to show off what I DO know nor expose what someone else doesn't.

jimgoose

MercMad wrote: »

I'd consider myself to be a petrol head through and through and have restored many cars and work on the constantly. That's enough experience to make me choose an S-Class over a Jaguar anytime !! ...

Ah yes, the S-Class, the Fr. Fintan Stack of cars. I've driven a good few and consider them a worthy opponent.

kyote00

While we are at 'stereotypes', how about

classic nazi: 'that insulating tape should be 2mm short of the connector'

trailer queens: 'anything over 5 miles, and its on the trailer'

Tzar Chasm

jimgoose wrote: »

Ah yes, the S-Class, the Fr. Fintan Stack of cars. I've driven a good few and consider them a worthy opponent.

Surely you mean the 'Fr Paul Stone' of the motor world, I've had a few S class' and they wouldnt be known for staying up all night playing jungle music.

M5 = Fintin Stack

And I suppose most american barges are as alcoholic as fr Jack

Capri

Jay Leno is the polar opposite of what the OP is getting at. He has a passion for cars and knows his way around them. He doesn't just collect them to drop the fact at dinner parties.

At the same time, I don't think you have to have oil on your hands to run a classic. If you can afford a nice Mustang, ignorance of how it works shouldn't be a barrier to ownership. Good for them not buying a 3-series.

Of course a bull****ter masquerading as an enthusiast is a terrible thing.

ps Love the term "Tax Enthusiast".

I have major respect for Jay Leno, who is a petrolhead that happens to have the money to indulge his passion on a huge scale :cool:

I wouldn't know every 911 derivation, or any of the Italian 'supercars' exact models, but it seems to be these Italian supercars who attract the RG/Show-offs who like to park them outside nightclubs, but as soon as they turn the ignition there's a danger they'll run someone over showing off - our Cannonball Run would have a fair share off these I'd say :rolleyes:
Put it another way, anyone who attends Classic car shows can be considered 'one of the club' but some of these RG's wouldn't have a clue where/when some of these shows are on.

w124man

Capri, I wish you wouldn't refer to me as a rich git ......

Duke O Smiley

Business teacher of mine always said, during the boom, an old Merc on a ZV was the thing to have, and most owners wouldn't have the slightest clue of them.

From my own experiences he was sorta right.

Obviously not in every instance**

Capri

Duke O Smiley wrote: »

Business teacher of mine always said, during the boom, an old Merc on a ZV was the thing to have, and most owners wouldn't have the slightest clue of them.

From my own experiences he was sorta right.

Obviously not in every instance**

Better still , an old Merc on a pre-87EU plate

Agricola

You'll always have people with money buying expensive modern or classic cars that they know little about. If something is a luxury item, piece of art or gives status, who else is going to buy it? In an ideal world the Ferrari lunatic working in Aldi would be able to drive the car he dreams about, but its not an ideal world sadly!

porsche959

Capri wrote: »

Are we to welcome all to the fold or just avoid the RG's

If they are shelling out on something interesting and rare and not just the latest 2015 very expensive German model to impress their peers in the boardroom or golf-club, tbh, I would be in the 'welcome all to the fold' camp and think best approach is to seek to educate them.

The reality is with the economy somewhat improving, the RG element will come into play again, though not to the extent as during the bubble madness of 2000-2007.

Capri

Here's what the seriously rich are buying

http://www.rmauctions.com/results/result.cfm?SaleCode=AM15

$6 MILLION for a Ferrari (maybe Lochlann Quinn had a few bob to spend :cool: ) http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1072401
( actually, Lochlann Quinn wouldn't come under the RG title because he seems to know and love Ferraris and would probably agree with me about some of the other 'celebrity' Ferrari drivers )


but for a PETROLHEAD maybe this would be his choice http://barnfinds.com/1948-buick-roadmaster-the-black-flame/ :eek:

Max Headroom

My comparison would be all these "fans" going around in "Ramones" t-shirts...:mad:

Comes down to the same thing...whats fashionable...

While i slog my guts out with 365 days a year dirty fingernails, my mate just goes out and buys what he wants to "pose" in...not bitter btw..:)

carchaeologist

Iv always bought my cars for me and not for anyone else. They may not be considered 'cool' or be worth much but what of it. I like them.
I totally understand what the OP means, personally I usually avoid the tax dodgers, cheque book restorers et al and always look out for the guy with the real story behind his car. It's always interesting when someone has a car that actually means something to them.

arthur daly

So what's exactly wrong with buying a nice car with zero knowledge about it?probably accounts fir 90% of cars sold..
Jealousy springs to mind

Dades

I'm not falling for that trick on a Thursday afternoon!

It'll be 6:30 before I even notice I've started watching his stuff...

Tigger

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Slightly off-topic but Jay Leno's youtube channel is a must watch for classic car enthusiast. He knows his car history and you can tell its a real passion of his.

and he likes his bikes

most of my petrolhead mates started off with a bike collection its not a pre-requisite but i wonder why if one loves cars how they don't also love bikes.

Max Headroom

Tigger wrote: »

and he likes his bikes

most of my petrolhead mates started off with a bike collection its not a pre-requisite but i wonder why if one loves cars how they don't also love bikes.

Thats one for Clarkson............

Although a lot of "real" bikers hate "cages"......:rolleyes: