Funny question from billionaire

[LWJ]

So I took the Boxster (02 S) to an event yesterday. I paid less than $10k for this car and greatly enjoy it.

Woman (who is in the billionaire class) there sees the car and says “who do WE know that drives a Porsche?” As if this is some sort of rich dudes car.

My son and I laughed hard at this comment. She is so far past our income level yet she perceives a 20 year old (low end) Porsche as something that is a token of very high wealth.

Funny.

[ckelly78z]

I used to get the same thing with my 85 944...Dude, this car is 1/10 the price of your new pickup !

[McLovin]

She must have been old with a long memory.
Once upon a time, a long time ago, they were a rich person’s car.

[sc_rufctr]

Is this woman single?

[oldE]

I think you might have misunderstood her. She was trying to recall if it was their gardener or the fellow who services the HVAC system.


Best
Les

[LWJ]

Mclovin nailed it.

Not single.

Super down to earth. Lovely person. Just a funny question.

[Baz]

As long as it's pronounced correctly - I'm good!

[sugarwood]

Normal people are clueless about car values. They think a used $3000 German car is more prestigious than a brand new $80,000 pickup truck. They see the badge only. They see a rotted out Porsche carcass and think "One. Million. Dollars" Then they spend $35k on a brand new mini-van.

[stevej37]

I'd say she was doing the best she knew how to throw you a humorous compliment.

[pavulon]

Old money? Winning the genetic lottery takes zero insight or intelligence.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by LWJ

My son and I laughed hard at this comment. She is so far past our income level yet she perceives a 20 year old (low end) Porsche as something that is a token of very high wealth.

A new Porsche would normally be a sign of high wealth, but auto prices are all of the map these days, with some new pickups bumping the six figure level, go figure.

There is a lot of borrowing and crossover in terms of styling and sometimes the badge is the only identifier. Entry level cars are not trying to remain simple and dependable and practical daily drivers anymore, and have started borrowing all sorts of features from the higher-end models, which is sorta taboo imo. Intake scoops and racing stripes on a DD Corolla, seriously? That plastic front bumper may look evil and mean but it still won't pass the 5mph bumper test. Every car seems to have a full dashboard packed with space age lights and buttons excepting the Tesla which went minimalist on the surface borrowing from Apple.

It's a kudo to the Pcar brand that it remains recognizable despite a good part of a century trying to stay with the changing times while remaining a viable company. And that transference to a older model is a nice compliment.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

Then they spend $35k on a brand new mini-van.

And, if you want fries with that you are looking at $42k.

Meal with a cookie? Fity k.

Seems like a nice Lady, btw.

[speeder]

Perception is a funny thing when it comes to cars. Most people don't pay a lot of attention to them and only know what they have seen on window stickers in showrooms. My mom had a really skewed idea of what various cars were worth.

I took a rich lady friend to a Porsche gathering at Santa Monica airport a couple of years ago and she was looking at the cars the way that she looks at something right before she buys it. We practically had to hold her back, it was hilarious. They were collectible cars, rgruppe hotrods, gumdrop colors, etc. Lots of eye candy.

[pmax]

She’s the billionaire.

There’s no such thing as a cheap Porsche.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by speeder

Perception is a funny thing when it comes to cars. Most people don't pay a lot of attention to them and only know what they have seen on window stickers in showrooms. My mom had a really skewed idea of what various cars were worth.

I took a rich lady friend to a Porsche gathering at Santa Monica airport a couple of years ago and she was looking at the cars the way that she looks at something right before she buys it. We practically had to hold her back, it was hilarious. They were collectible cars, rgruppe hotrods, gumdrop colors, etc. Lots of eye candy.

Agree with only to add, " ...only know what they think they have seen on window stickers in showrooms."

One day nearly 20 years ago my wife took her then '60 356 to the office. The big man (chairman of the board of directors) shows up and after walking through the parking lot, loudly proclaims, "We are paying someone here too much." OK, it was a non-profit where she worked, but she was far from the highest paid.

At the time the 356 was worth just over 10K and just about everyone there drove a newish car. But it doesn't end there. Soon after the bookkeeper/comptroller shows up with her sugar daddy's gifted branny new '03 Boxster S. I think they were about 45K at the time.

I think the chairman siht his pants. But what did he have? An 80K Merc. (he wasn't paid to be on the board — all volunteers).

[stevej37]

Rich older women can't be expected to know a cars value.

They just want to have fun....and I don't argue that.

[smadsen]

Used to get comments like that from non-car folks about the '82 SC, back in the late '90's. Admittedly it did have a $35,000 sticker... when it was new. When I got it, it was a $10,000 car with 157,0000 miles and several operational problems. A new Caravan was $25,000 at the time. It's all relative.

[Bill Douglas]

I tell them when I bought my SC it was about half the price of a new Corolla. Now it's worth about two Corollas.

[Noah930]

I didn't take the billionaire woman's comment anything at all like what the rest of you have mentioned. Of course, I wasn't there and the OP was so I would defer to his interpretation of said woman's comment. But taking the words at face value, she may have been making a comment on a car that was unusual--that stood out. Not necessarily because of its cost, but just because it wasn't something that was common within her circle of friends. It could have been, "Who do we know that owns a Miata?" Or "Who do we know that owns a Mustang?" I mean, it would have been odd for a woman of those means to be impressed by the financial cost of a Porsche, right?

[Fast Freddy 944]

You drive a boxter right? Any wealthy individual of descerning taste would automatically know the value of the car from 8 feet away, she probably wasnt trying to look down her nose at you. Or she gave you a shot that went over your head. Im guessing the latter. Trust me, these folks have seen Buggatis, Lambo's, and tonns of blue chip, cars, boats, and aircraft that would make 90% of whats on the road looks like a hot rodded civic.