Corvette1221

Do just old guys going through their midlife crisis drive the vette?

Please prove me wrong, anyone have a vette, only those of you that actually own one, want to share the vette they are driving and their age???

Read on to know why I ask this question.

Yes I have heard that the reason the vette looks like it does is because Hill wanted to leave some heritage about the original car. But I am too young to remember that heritage, what about appealing to a new heritage? I haven't grown up with this car, and I don't care as much about its past, though I do appreciate it as its future.

Since they changed the fenders, the hood, and most of the rest of the car would it have been too much to be a little more advernturous with the styling?

I also agree that the new Viper, Ford GT, and Ford Mustang have been a good move for Ford in terms of Style. The Vette seems to only apeal to the older crowd.

Please prove we wrong on the Older crowd statement. I am 38 and I spoke with a car salesman one day. I was directed to his dealership here in Southern California because they sell more vettes then anyone else in the area. He looked at me and said that I did not fit the profile.

"Oh!", I asked, "and what is the profile."

He responded, I don't want to sound bad but, "Over 55 years old over weight and balding."

Is this true? I spoke with a young girl, about 20 years old the other day and I said I had a Vette. I am currently married, just love the car. She said, "I like the Viper, the vette is for, Uhhhhmmmm I don't want to say".

"No, please say I asked her."

She responded, along with her friends support, "Well, for guys that are going through midlife crisis and want to attract young women."

I have driven a viper, so I went on to tell them that it was not as comfortable a car to drive. That did not matter, in their eyes the Vette was an old man's car.

Ok, I know a lot of you are going to tell me that it should not matter what people think, but you know what, I am one of those people. I bought the car because I like performance above all, but what I felt the car could have more of, to match its performance is style. Whenever I mention "Why didn't they change it more" I get people telling me that it was because it stuck to Heritage, always to look like the original base model just with more options.

Well, if it does cost 75k I would hope we would get more then just another 100 ponies for that extra 30 grand.

So how old are you guys, anyone willing to break the stereotype?

BTW I drive a 2001 Red Covertible 6 speed with black seats. I love the car.

So what is your age, and what Vette do you drive?

Vetteman Jack

I'm 50 and have had this car for over 4 years. But, I got my first Vette when I was 31 - the profile of being 55 and over may have been true before because the cars were expensive and not many younger drivers could afford them. Today, things are much different and the profile is rapidly changing. Look at the number of 18-25 year old forum members that have Vettes.

kelvin

I'm 30 yo single and drive a 97 red coupe. When I start dating a new woman I never drive the Vette. I don't want the sterotypes to distract her from getting to know me. Oh and we all sterotype, it's in our nature.

MAD C5

50 yrs old here. Got my first Vette when I was 44. Wanted one since I was a little kid, just had a few other things to take care of. (School, Career, House, Family, blah, blah.) I'm lovin' every minute of it.

belmor

25, Single, 96' Arctic white coupe (my 4th Vette)
~B~

fdxpilot

Well, on the one hand, I'm 47 now and could lose a few pounds, but still have a full head of hair, although graying. On the other, I was 21 when I ordered a new 78 L82 4spd as my first vette. Don't know what that does to your theory.

Getzen88

20 and drive an 88...i really really want an 81 four speed and i will have a mid-year in the next fifteen years...

psychodiagnostik

That's probably one reason WHY it is seen by some as an old man's car, because people call it "comfy" and such. Comfy makes me think of La-Z-Boys and Depends. In many cases, young women don't care about comfy.

I can offer some observations. I drive a Corvette for many reasons, NONE of which have ANYTHING to do with attracting chicas. I don't care about what ANYBODY thinks about my car, I drive it for ME.

But I have noticed... When spending time driving my Corvette on college campuses, nobody commented on the car, one way or the other. When I drove my old beater VW Jetta, girls told me it was cute, they wanted one like it, etc.
Another example: none of my colleagues have ever commented on my Corvette, but one of my co-workers has a Chrysler Crossfire, and all the twentysomething women envy her, and talk about the car a lot.

I'm 30, w/a '93 white Corvette, and happily married.

C5Nate

I've had a Vette for years and am not 50 yet. Still have most of my hair.


Ignore them, they are envious of you, (but will never admit it).

Envious because they:

Cant afford one

Wife wont let them have one

Drive minivans because a Vette wont haul the kids and dogs.

Cars are just transportation, they don’t have the passion.

They get more excited about the 30 mpg their econo box gets and have no clue what G-Force is.

And so on…..


You do know that not all BIKERS are hoods and criminals dont you

Corvette1221

Hey that is a good point. I remember I took a girl out when I was 20. She was a beautiful blonde cheerleader, and my friend offered to let me drive his mercedes. I was 20 years old at the time and I just wanted to impress her, you know how hormones are, but looking back all I remember was her interest in the car not me.

But when I drove a old subaru station wagon that my parents gave me I didn't have a hard time dating and they paid attention to me.

Good idea

drvn2fast

39 and a full head of hair . 87 coupe

Sorny

26 and currently have a '00 FRC.

I sure don't fit the stereotype. I don't care. I bought the car to impress one person, and that person is me.

Sorny

Corvette1221

Yes, I am glad that I started this post. For one, so early on I have found out that many people are younger then the stereotype seems to fit. I am really glad to hear this.

But you have also pointed out something that I have noticed, that younger people don't pay attention to the vette as much as other cars. I could't have said it better myself. Why is that? Is a crossfire really much better then a Vette in terms of style? I must admit someone could probably argue that they attract the younger crowd better.

Somewhere in all of this analysis is the heart of my question.
Why doesn't David Hill understand this, or is it more important that he attracts people who grew up with the heritage of the car?

One person on the forum wrote: "Here in america we have always been about substance, where as in Europe they are about style." Then he went on to say, "We got it right!". Interesting proposal? But did we? That is the question I ask. If this in fact is true, then who would make such a statement?

Look at how popular the new Chrysler products have been that people are willing to pay MSRP for? They are certainly a new style. All be it, they do borrow certain cues from the past, but so does the Ford Mustang and look how popular that car is with it's latest design?

lowdowndirty

I got my 99 two yrs ago when I was 24. I'm bald by choice. Seriously.

Corvette1221

Wow that's great, love the way you look at it. You are right, people drive cars to move people and people drive cars to "DRIVE!" I guess some people will find it hard to know the difference, but you said it well.

NB2K

43-3rd vette, thick brown(some gray) hair.
I drive Vettes cause they stop and go fast.
I have loved cars since I was a kid and a pretty nursing student (thanks,Kathy) took me for a ride when I was 8 in her blue '68.

Been a fiend for 'em since...(yeah, both )

agentf1

I have been driving vettes since my early 20's and am in my mid 40's now. Oh, and I am neither fat or bald.

Ginzo

I'm 51, first vette when I was 23. It was my 2nd LT. mobile when I was in flight school at Pensacola FL. in 1976.

The DBK

I'm 50...oh no wait, divide that in half. I am not balding. I'm 5'9 and 155 lbs. I have plenty of tattoos.

I drive a 2002 Z06 with a 422 cube stroker motor.

Although my 54 year old mother did say to me "that's an old mans car" when I got it...

Pigface1

30 w/ a heads/cam C5. First vette at 25.