Whats an appropriate car for a company executive?

[HULK_I6T]

ITs Hulk Friday!!! time to pack up ready for the weekend...here is the dilemma to resolve before you go home.

A company executive is an important role in any company, wether they be the CEO or General Manager etc. These people are often seen as the leaders in that business, looked up to by the workers..

This naterally extends out into the carpark. you cant have a company executive turn up in an AU falcon etc. They would lose face in the boardroom.

But what is an appropriate car for a Company executive?

Does it need to be prestige? ie Audi or BMW as a minimum?

Does it need to be brand new/newish? More than 3 years old they could be seen as stale?

Can they turn up in a little fuel miser? What they lose face?

Does it need to be a better or more expensive car than the workers, more appropriate to the pay rate?

Or do people not care what you drive? Would they still respect you if you parked an old EL XR6 in the carpark? then the cleaner parks next to you in his/her new Mitsubishi Lancer to beat the company executive?

Whats the minimum spec car for a company executive?

[PHawk]

My Mrs is the executive in my house...she drives a 96 Primera :o)

[Sam_Boss260]

Oh this is going to be a good one...... will be checking back later !!

[superyob]

What type of company? You would not expect the CEO of 'Socially and Environmentally Responsible Company' to drive the same as the CEO of 'Gas Guzzlers R Us'...

[ratter]

Does it matter, somebody that judges another by the car they drive is a fool

[FPV414]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

you cant have a company executive turn up in an AU falcon etc. They would lose face in the boardroom.

They wouldn't be able to turn up in a low KM BF XR6 Turbo without "losing face" either - let's get that out of the way first.

/thread.

[asagaai]

Originally Posted by ratter

Does it matter, somebody that judges another by the car they drive is a fool

The world is made up of fools that unfortunately, if you are in business yourself, you need to cater to.

[Vesper Martini]

A commodore Executive of course

[EASYBOSS]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

you cant have a company executive turn up in an AU falcon etc.

Bollocks, I'm my own company executive, and I turn up in my AU wagon

[Road Games]

That's a very good question mate...

I caught up with an old boss last week and i could have taken my mint B-series with personal plates to impress him, but i chose not to and take my daily hyundai accent complete with battle damage instead

As i do own my own business and i am probably the executive lol i guess i made the wrong choice as he was actually surprised i hadn't made it further in life since we last talked ( 10yr's ago ) ?

True story ...

So i guess something that impresses everyone else if that is your conundrum, although you really don't need to ... HTH

[vbvbvb088]

Which Australian car had a name 'executive' first?

[Beastie]

I was only talking to the guys around the water cooler this morning about this exact thing!

One of my former CEO's used to drive a old 5 series beamer (80's model) to the office and then would catch the train everywhere around Sydney.

Each to their own I say and given the position that they are in, they can drive whatever they like.

Who cares what people think.

[350125GO]

B Series XR6T with 7,000kms on the clock.

[cs123]

AS stupid as this may appear at first it is actually a "thing" at some companies.

If you are a salesman and one that drives to see customers you need an appropriate car. Too flashy and it will raise concerns with the customer. Too ****** and it will also raise concerns. It depends on your customers and the value of the deals you do with them.

Likewise if you rock into the work car park with a much nicer car than the sales manager or senior exec then it is noticed.

Odd, but there you go.....

The best bet is to do what I do. Rock up in a 70s car that's excessively loud, shakes and smells obnoxious.

[blue sleeper]

This obviously....

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by vbvbvb088

Which Australian car had a name 'executive' first?

Mitsubishi Magna Executive.

Speaking of appropriate cars for corporate world, the old man used to work for Pivot fertilizers in the 90s. It was a Ford only fleet of company cars. Salesmen strictly got GLI falcons in white, managers got Futuras, district managers got fairmonts and executive chairman got an DL LTD with the company name on the numberplates.

[STINKY NINJA]

Sigma wagon,nothing but the best for the best.

[vztrt]

Would have though 5 second camry.

[Big_Daz]

Who are we to say whats appropriate for a CEO (Or anyone for that matter) to drive.

Some people don't give a toss about cars and therefore just get whatever.. One of my old boss's (Parner in a large logistics Company in AU and NZ) was one of these people.. He never really drove anything crazy special, while the other partners in the company are driving Maseratis', range rovers, Bentley's he was happy rocking around in a succession of 3 series BMW's... When the lease was up, he would upgrade to the same thing but newer.. 330D's I think they all where... His money was spent on Property Investment's, both residential and commercial, rather than cars...

Hulk, I think you have an unhealthy obsession with what people think of you... Im not the Director/CEO of the company I work for (rather large US Based Express Logistics Company) but if what the CEO chooses to drive is irrelevant to me...

[Big_Daz]

Originally Posted by cs123

AS stupid as this may appear at first it is actually a "thing" at some companies.

If you are a salesman and one that drives to see customers you need an appropriate car. Too flashy and it will raise concerns with the customer. Too ****** and it will also raise concerns. It depends on your customers and the value of the deals you do with them.

Likewise if you rock into the work car park with a much nicer car than the sales manager or senior exec then it is noticed.

Odd, but there you go.....

The best bet is to do what I do. Rock up in a 70s car that's excessively loud, shakes and smells obnoxious.

All the sales Rep's where given company cars (no car allowance) and they all drove Base model commodores on 3 year leases.. the CEO didn't want to be seen as too flashy....

[Road Games]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Would have though 5 second camry.

No such thing ..... Although the TopGun Celica has gone 6 flat @ 235mph ?

[Falcon SXR8]

Originally Posted by EASYBOSS

Bollocks, I'm my own company executive, and I turn up in my AU wagon

Sorry to say mate but apparently you have lost face in the boardroom ;-)

[Mr Brooksy]

This of cause.

It has DRL's, blacked out roof, it is a super light weight like the Porsche GT3 RS and the ever important cut out in the body to cool the rear brakes for that weekend Track Day.



Those misely buggers who turn up in the BMW's. Mercs, Aston Martins are just minor level managers compared to the sophistication and presence of a man/woman who turns up in this!

AND it's just the right colour, wouldn't you say Hulk?

[mik]

what ever makes him feel good .

[CyberWasp]

Chauffeur driven Bentley for sure.
You would need the chauffeur to be heavy on the Horn to get all of the measly, working class, trashy people out of the way as you drive by.

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by DAZZLR

No such thing ..... Although the TopGun Celica has gone 6 flat @ 235mph ?

Missed the joke in previous Hulk threads Daz...

[Grunter]

Oh well, it was a quiet couple of days.

I'm a "suit" and I get a metric **** ton more positive/good comments when I drive my clapped out old AU T3 to work, than I have ever done with any other car I've owned. Is also a great conversation starter. And off site, there's nothing like rocking up to a meeting in a car that has a tendency to set off their car alarms.

Fun thing is, even if I had negative comments, or actually was shallow enough to really care what some others, I work with, thought about my choice of car, it would make no difference to me. I drive what I drive because I like driving it.

[blackf6]

A car does not makuth the man.

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by DAZZLR

No such thing ..... Although the TopGun Celica has gone 6 flat @ 235mph ?

My Celica wouldn't do 6 seconds if I pushed it off a cliff...

Originally Posted by blue sleeper

This obviously....
image

I'll see that and raise you one of these...

I believe I know who has won when it comes to "style"...

Seriously though, it probably depends on how you became CEO...
Was it the traditional, work your way up through the ranks thing, or did you just walk in?
Working your way up...increasingly a rare thing to happen now...I'd remember where I had come from and honestly pick something like (and I'm sorry here) a WB Statesman with a lot of mods. They're still a fine looking car which seems to have aged better than the last LTD's from back then.
Walk into the job as a "professional" CEO who doesn't give a crap about those below him and wants to impress the board? Probably something stately like a Bentley or a big Audi. A Rolls is just pretentious and makes the shareholders wonder worryingly where their money is going, even though a Bentley is pretty much the same car, it has more "sporting" connotations rather than "rich mongrel" appearance.

"Rich guy" doesn't necessarily mean you must turn up in some new prestige car...Jay Leno has no problem turning up to big important events where everyone else is climbing out of stretch Hummers and assorted limos...and he steps out of a hot rod, a custom car, a 1930's Duesenberg, or even a Stanley Steamer...

[SumoDog68]

I work for a large company and would not have a clue what any of the executives are driving. There are many nice cars in our car parks but I would not judge anyone on car they drive. For some people cars are just appliances and some are enthusiasts with majority somewhere in between.
I know that my department manager drives cheap mid 90's hatch but as I said he is not into cars - it does not mean anything nor I respect him less for it.
I witnessed some very successful people driving pretty basic cars , it is kind of cool they don't feel the need to impress anyone.