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Understated but overpriced. :wink:
What your CEO drives, says alot
- Thread starter MIZZOUNNC
- Start date
Understated but overpriced. :wink:
I am the owner of my company and drive the NSX every chance I get....or my Avalanche....which I enjoy also .............
There are several owners where I work.
The Owner over the IT dept drives a nissan suv. He used to have a range rover.
The owner whos over the forensics dept drives a honda suv.
The owner who parks beside my NSX every day drives a $200,000 mercedes.
The way I see it. No one owes me anything. If the owner makes $3mil and wants a lambo, get it! There is nothing stoping me from buying one if I wanted one bad enough. Am I willing to work 80-90 hours a week, get my masters, get a ton more certs like the owners to be able to afford one?
I can see it depending on the business though. If you own a business with white collar college educated people, go for the ferrari or lambo. If you own a business where everyone has excuses why they didn't 'make it' in life, probably shouldn't rub it in.
The Owner over the IT dept drives a nissan suv. He used to have a range rover.
The owner whos over the forensics dept drives a honda suv.
The owner who parks beside my NSX every day drives a $200,000 mercedes.
The way I see it. No one owes me anything. If the owner makes $3mil and wants a lambo, get it! There is nothing stoping me from buying one if I wanted one bad enough. Am I willing to work 80-90 hours a week, get my masters, get a ton more certs like the owners to be able to afford one?
I can see it depending on the business though. If you own a business with white collar college educated people, go for the ferrari or lambo. If you own a business where everyone has excuses why they didn't 'make it' in life, probably shouldn't rub it in.
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Bought mine for 29k and 9k miles from a retiring professor.
Nicely done! :smile:
I think one has to be insecure to feel the need to display their own image of themselves in a form of their car. A boss who flaunts his money? Not usually a positive morale builder, IMHO.
Our CEO has a 2-year old SAAB 9-3 convertible and a 1960's Ford Fairlane. The founder has a Lexus RX400h, and one of the founding partners has a C6. The most expensive cars? They belong to those in sales and marketting, and clerical staff. Go figure.
Our CEO has a 2-year old SAAB 9-3 convertible and a 1960's Ford Fairlane. The founder has a Lexus RX400h, and one of the founding partners has a C6. The most expensive cars? They belong to those in sales and marketting, and clerical staff. Go figure.
As I always used to say. Want to see some really nice cars? Goto a apartment complex. Also very few people with millions in the bank drive a high end car. Sure if you make a few 100k a year you can look like you have a ton of money but it's all debt. Just watch MTV cribs. The rich don't screw around with cars they do jets from what I have seen. If you have 100+ million do you want people to see your car and rob / stalk you around?
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At the site that I'm at, most people drive Toyota, Honda, Nissan, GM, Ford, etc. Up until very recently, only 2 guys who were not VP level or above drove upscale nameplate cars, one of the product managers had a 10+ year old Lexus ES, and one of the engineers had an Integra. I drove my '92 Legend, but it is all Honda badged, so my non car nut co-workers don't know any better. Last year, I picked up a used E36 M3, and only about 8 months after I got it, did I get the courage to drive it to work. People started talking immediately. The same people who's SUVs and minivans that cost them more than I paid for the M3 (in the teens). Goes to show it's all a matter of perception. It's gotten better in the past year, because we've hired a lot of people, and a lot of people have gotten new cars. We now have a few more Acuras, an Infiniti, and a BMW 3-series being driven by non-VP level people (in addition to my M3). I've never taken my NSX to work, and probably never will. The few times I drove the 1994 NSX that I'm the caretaker for to work, people talked, but I was able to brush it off by saying it wasn't mine (which was the truth).
Probably a good idea to not take your NSX to work given what others currently drive at your location.
Before I moved, I worked in an office in the Bay where about 8,000 employees from my company worked (CEO in a diff state). I drove my NSX there 2x a week in the summer b/c there were enough M-B AMG, BMW M, Jag, etc, etc for it not to be an issue. However, the first time I drove the NSX in, years ago, my (then) boss saw it and said "Your raise was too big". I know he was joking, but there is something about taking a car like the NSX (or any other "flashy" sports car - mine is red) to the office that gets people talking. My new office isn't as "high style", so I don't ever take the NSX there.
Better to just not have to deal w/ it and get a bigger raise b/c they think you need it. :biggrin:
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It's not all bad all of the time. One of the times I did take the 1994 NSX to work, I had to give my visiting co-worker from the Japan office a ride back to his hotel. He
as he saw what he was going to get a ride in, and asked "Whoa, is this N - S - X?!". He went on to say that he rarely sees them in Japan, and it was his first time ever in one. I took him the long way which included a few freeway cloverleafs and long merges. :biggrin: The next time I visited the Japan office, we were walking out for lunch, and we saw a Porsche 997 drive by, and another Japanese co-worker pointed it out, while the guy i gave the ride to commented, "Oh, but he drives NSX!" :smile:
There are others like Dixon Thayer, an apparent throwback to the late Sam Walton. Thayer, CEO of health care facilities operator I-trax (DMX) , tools around in an '86 F-250 pickup that may be worth $2,000, but only because he takes such meticulous care of it. "Early in my career I learned to maintain plant and equipment," he says. He refuses to trade in the truck, and hopes that reinforces to his 2,000 employees in 31 states his commitment to frugal resource management.
My wife is Dixon secretary and it is true he does drive a pickup, nice but old, his only other ride is a Austin Healy Bugeye!
My wife is Dixon secretary and it is true he does drive a pickup, nice but old, his only other ride is a Austin Healy Bugeye!
And I'm sure his private jet is pretty nice too. :smile:
Most of my recent client CEO/CxO types tend to drive "sensible" vehicles, reasonably priced given their 7-8 figure annual packages.
Big sedans tend to rule: Audi A8/S8, BMW 7, Mercedes S or CLS . Occasionally a big tank - blacked-out Escalades seem to be popular
Its actually the "owner" or chairman who drives the cool toys - Lambo, Maybach, Bentley et al.
In Western Europe, it gets out of hand quickly, as even mid-management is in fancy BMW/Mercedes/Audi cars.
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I read an article about Arnold and some of his "trappings" recently. Interesting that for the CEO-governator of the largest state (bigger than many countries), with a very "green" image etc.... his carbon footprint is pretty high - commute from "home" is a cross between a Gulfstream V and a highly-modded Hummer H1.
Big sedans tend to rule: Audi A8/S8, BMW 7, Mercedes S or CLS . Occasionally a big tank - blacked-out Escalades seem to be popular
Its actually the "owner" or chairman who drives the cool toys - Lambo, Maybach, Bentley et al.
In Western Europe, it gets out of hand quickly, as even mid-management is in fancy BMW/Mercedes/Audi cars.
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I read an article about Arnold and some of his "trappings" recently. Interesting that for the CEO-governator of the largest state (bigger than many countries), with a very "green" image etc.... his carbon footprint is pretty high - commute from "home" is a cross between a Gulfstream V and a highly-modded Hummer H1.
My CEO drives a Prius. Not sure what that says -- other than gas is >$4 here.
Wow...so many jackass CEO's out there. Oh well, more cool cars for me!
:wink:
:wink:
The CEO of a company I once worked for faked a break-in of his Mercedes in the company's parking lot, so he could claim that papers (needed in a legal action) had been stolen. He's in federal prison now.
My CEO is driving my volvo right now because her stupid 325 is apparently trying to take up permanent residence at the shop. At least it's sunny so I can enjoy my Duc.
nice read. I laugh when i see one of the US's weathiest CEO's Phil Knight driving to work often in the morning...8/10 times its an old 99' (i think) NSX!! Dude OWNS NIKE and yet driving a $40k car...he apparently has a bunch of cars, but this is his fav driver....plate says "NKE MAN" (or close)
Personally, i own a very successful motorcycle race shop and yet i drove my old 91' NSX that was beautiful, modded, HRE;s, etc and would have customers go "damn...you must be making too much money" this was usually from the guy with 3 kids, 1 ex wife, and a new $30k honda accord. i would be like "well..im in my NSX not much more than your accord....and i dont have kids..nor an ex wife...so i should have 2 NSX's i suppose" people always judging you. i NEVER cared what others think about my nsx..for me it was an amazing escape from motorcycles/two wheels...yet still close to the feeling! In 7 years i had a passenger maybe 3 times.
Thank god, 4 years after i sold mine..im driving to LA tomorrow for my new one (to me!)
Personally, i own a very successful motorcycle race shop and yet i drove my old 91' NSX that was beautiful, modded, HRE;s, etc and would have customers go "damn...you must be making too much money" this was usually from the guy with 3 kids, 1 ex wife, and a new $30k honda accord. i would be like "well..im in my NSX not much more than your accord....and i dont have kids..nor an ex wife...so i should have 2 NSX's i suppose" people always judging you. i NEVER cared what others think about my nsx..for me it was an amazing escape from motorcycles/two wheels...yet still close to the feeling! In 7 years i had a passenger maybe 3 times.
Thank god, 4 years after i sold mine..im driving to LA tomorrow for my new one (to me!)
When working with clients, it's wise to be successful and modest in appearance.
While I've been working corporate, I show up in all of my cars the first couple days. I decorate my office with 20x30 framed pictures of my cars along with XJR adverts. Side shelves and drawers are decorated with plants and my favorite car models. If I get rid of one car for another, I make sure to bring it in.
When I score a victory and find a difficult to get part, they poke fun at me which is how it should be. I give advice to employees asking what cars to check out they are most interested in.
Overpayed? No. Overplayed, depends entirely on you.
While I've been working corporate, I show up in all of my cars the first couple days. I decorate my office with 20x30 framed pictures of my cars along with XJR adverts. Side shelves and drawers are decorated with plants and my favorite car models. If I get rid of one car for another, I make sure to bring it in.
When I score a victory and find a difficult to get part, they poke fun at me which is how it should be. I give advice to employees asking what cars to check out they are most interested in.
Overpayed? No. Overplayed, depends entirely on you.
--Buffet's story is somewhat of a myth. He owns MANY other cars - but the old Town car is famous because it was sold by auction. He own a couple of Jets too.
--Bill Gates - owns a incredible collection of cars.
It all has to do with your priorities in life. Some people want to "make it" and give money to charity, Africa or their church. I prefer to give to the House of Soichiro, Ferdinand and someday Enzo.:biggrin:
--Bill Gates - owns a incredible collection of cars.
It all has to do with your priorities in life. Some people want to "make it" and give money to charity, Africa or their church. I prefer to give to the House of Soichiro, Ferdinand and someday Enzo.:biggrin:
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The CEO of my company drives an LMP2 race car- and he and his team (Binnie Motorsports) won their class at Lemans last year...
What does that say about my company?
I have no idea, but it didn't effect MY paycheck...
P
that CEO was forced to step down... I have no idea what our new CEO drives, but since he is Indian- possibly a TaTa, or a Jag, or a Landrover I guess...
P
I run my own business, and the ones i drive are the ones in my signature. However, i have a few employees, and they don't really have an issue with the fact that i have a couple of Acura's there, since, I drive them, they aren't fully mine. Fair enough.
They also know i'm looking for an NSX, and again, they have no problem with it since I'm treating them well, they figure it's fine since i'm doing my part as a boss, so why not.
My dad owns his own busines (i recently took over) and he hasn't been flashy either, driving cargo vans and minivans (usually Dodge) for quite some time until he finally got the EL.
They also know i'm looking for an NSX, and again, they have no problem with it since I'm treating them well, they figure it's fine since i'm doing my part as a boss, so why not.
My dad owns his own busines (i recently took over) and he hasn't been flashy either, driving cargo vans and minivans (usually Dodge) for quite some time until he finally got the EL.
