What Do You Drive?

Are you what you drive? Don't think so? Or don't have much of an idea as to how much your automobile can influence people's perceptions? Join as we turn image perception consultants, with special emphasis on automobiles, and find out which car suits you best.

Stock market professionals

Since this is a business ne-wspaper, the people with incredible d-ecibel ra-nges and demat drive get the preference. We'll generalise a bit here, and presume, not very incorrectly, that most of these people are, kind of, rich. Only the degree of richness varies. The more astute and decisive among them can just about afford anything offered in the market. But a walk around the BSE the other day revealed a boring line of Maruti Esteems and Maruti 1000s. We understand their desire to project a safe and dependable image with a tried and trusted car. Again, we believe, there is another car that fits in nicely into their scheme of things. May we suggest the Suzuki Baleno? Sign on the dotted line and er, to facilitate that, just float a rumour or two and a make a comfy exit the next day. But seriously, the image you'll be projecting will be that of a traditional yet savvy broker or trader. Moreover, you'll have in hand a rather sophisticated automobile with more than reasonable comfort and performance levels. Imported machines, especially ones in the Lexus breed, are a strict no no. Go for a less flashy foreign automobile, like a Toyota Corolla.

 

CEOs, COOs, and MDs

Boss, now that you've arri-ved, it'll help if you are a bit careful while choosing your set of wheels. Always go in for an automobile a notch less expensive and less classy than the chairman's car - it's a big relief if he drives a 500 SEL. But in business, you also have to flaunt your wares to survive. If the guy before you did all the hard work and has left behind a healthy bottomline as well as that Merc-edes-Benz E-class (Rs 28,0-0,000), nothing like it. Sell that Benz or trade it in for a new E-class sedan and be very patriotic about it - remember, it is `made in India by Mercedes-Benz'.

Opting for the optional Blaupunkt music system with a ten CD-changer (Rs 1,00,000) and leather upholstery (Rs 1,00,000) will only add value to your car. It will run the depreciation quota of years very well and moreover, will always be one great reason for your second in command to do all the work for you.

Though both the Mercs available in the market today, the V6 petrol and the direct injection diesel, are great drivers' cars, they are primarily chauffeur-driven in India and you can follow suit. The backseat is very comfortable and you can still do a lot of business there.

Now if the company board balks at the idea of a machine from Stuttgart, settle, but do sulk a bit, for the next best thing on our roads - the Opel Astra Club. A car Teutonic enough and one offering ride and comfort nearly as good as the Merc. Anything lower than this and you'll end up sending rather confusing signals to your collaborators.

Senior management

The time has come for you to throw a bit of weight around and we're not talking about that middle-age spread here. Get a copy of the Business Standard Motoring Car Buyers' Guide 2000 to the number crunchers and argue emphatically that you deserve a better car than the bread-and-butter Esteem.Of the mid-sizers available today, the Mitsubishi Lancer, the Honda City and the Suzuki Baleno will serve notice of your clout and weight within the firm. If the firm you're working for isn't exactly big and let's say your boss is flitting around in one of these delectable mach-ines, choose then, from the Fiat Siena, the Opel Corsa and the Ford Ikon.

Come to think of it, a Hyundai Accent can offer you almost all the goodies of the first lot and costs only a fraction more than the second. At this level, a boot is very important - no hatchback can give you the same kind of respectability as a proper three-box sedan.

Engineers

Engineers are supposed to know their cars and your automotive choice will be under strict scrutiny, even if you just managed to scrape through your last term at civil engineering. While sophistication is important, your work will demand different requirements. We suggest a four-wheel drive vehicle for those who need to travel to far flung construction sites. If the Tata Safari is likely to play havoc with your budget, settle for the Mahindra Armada (we hear a better looking and working Bolero is on the way). If your company foots the fuel bills, the Gypsy is the vehicle to have for go-anywhere operations. Engineers spending most of their time in cities can have any car as long as they look the part. Beef-up the engine first and then, a little bit of techno-wizadry with some more gauges on the interiors. The idea is to impress upon people that you are the type who spends his free time putting apart and then, putting together an abandoned in-line six cylinder engine just for the heck of it. Your car should have a tachometer and also try to fit in a compass - after all, you got to be constantly aware of the pulse of your engine.

Software and dotcom professionals

thefutureishere.com? Not yet, pal. Surely, you can buy anything from detergents to refrigerators on the net; but teleportation and telekinesis are still a long way off. Until then, you've got to put up with a little bit of smog and lot more of fumes. We suppose you're browsing through this article at our website and if you work for an in-demand start-up in Silicon Valley, go ahead and drive a very politically correct, cutting edge technological tour de force like the Honda Insight or a Toyota Prius - both hybrid ZELV vehicles (zero emission level) vehicles. The GM EV1 was a dotcommer's favourite in California, but the battery car is now sadly out of production.

But if you still are in Hyde-rabad, Bangalore or Seepz, get a petrol burner. Since a good nu-mber of you will be burning a ve-nture capitalist's money, it'll be better if you spend more of it on developing software rather than buying up automotive hardware.

Again, if you are still an employee rather than a VC hunter, store your stock options for a rainy day and go in for something a lot better than basic transportation- the Hyundai Santro or the Daewoo Matiz. Both have on board microprocessors for their engine management systems, not that you'll be able to decode them - ever. These are quite sophisticated automobiles with enough space to advertise your companies and announce your allegiance to the new economy.

Ad professionals

As far as their taste in automobiles goes, these guys are the best in India.

They consider the automobile as a perfect medium to express their character, individuality and even sense of humour. So we get to see these guys owning everything from battered Beetles to classy Hi-luxes. The new kids on the block seem to the like Yamaha RD 350s, while the grown-ups project the correct image by driving Mercedes-Benzes. Drive a Merc for a presentation and rest assured, the account is yours:- words of wisdom from an experienced campaigner who spent Rs 15,00,000 on a used Mercedes before bagging his first account.

Frankly, we don't have any suggestions to make here. Ad guys are smart and savvy and in-the-know people, generally. Go broke for character, guys - buy a finned Chevvy or import a new Beetle. Or go ahead and drive a truck to your office - nobody will question you and you can actually expect a raise in the next term.

Journalists

For the print journos - very us-ed Maruti 800s, used 800s or a br-and new 800. They simply cannot afford anything bigger or faster. Attitude, image and character go for a walk when reality, in the form of salary slips, stares you in the face. That said, the 800 is a great car for investigative journalism - buy a white one to be really, really ubiquitous.

For the others who've leapt right into dotcoms with revenue-earning models and those in the television industry, a Zen, Uno, Santro or the Matiz looks to be a great buy.

Doctors

Dentists in Japan almost always prefer Cadillacs, while their Indian counterparts are now in the game for Maruti Esteems. This is one profession where the car you own is very important - anything flashy, you will be equated to a ripper in a white coat. Drive a Padmini and you will be considered not good enough to buy even a decent car. Go for safety, docs, and buy the kind of automobile you expect your potential patient to have - nothing more, nothing less. A car in the traditional mould, yet modern enough - you can pick from Zens, Esteems and even a Hyundai Accent.

Lawyers

Lawyers in the US drive nothing but BMWs. You see rows of them in the parking lots of federal courts. Out here, the venerable Ambassador, preferably in any shade of black with white towel upholstery has been, and to a great extent still is, a lawyer's automobile and with good reason too. Like in the case of doctors, clients get scared of lawyers who tend to drive expensive new cars. Corporate lawyers are advised to change their attitude though and are advised to be seen in a Mitsubishi Lancer or an Astra. Don't worry about running costs, both these vehicles are available with diesel engine options. Junior lawyers should choose between a diesel hatchback or stick to the Maruti 800.