What you drive is a reflection of you

Summer is the season for posing – but you can forget designer labels, expensive sunglasses and tiny celeb-style dogs to boost your street cred, it’s a car to be seen in most of us are after.

According to new research conducted by Peugeot, one in four Brits (26%) dream of being seen in a car which turns other people green with envy and one in five (21%) even confesses to checking out their reflection in shop windows as they cruise along.

When drivers do catch a glimpse, what they drive has a big impact on how they think they are perceived. A fifth (19%) say it seriously boosts their confidence to be seen in a stylish vehicle, with a third (33%) of men needing their car to be admired by passers-by.

What’s more, unlike Del Boy who was never too shy to been seen in the famous yellow three-wheeler, it appears today’s drivers are very particular. One in five (21%) owned up to having been embarrassed by a car they were driving, while one in 10 said they had ducked down in their seat to avoid being recognised. One in 20 even admitted to taking a different route to avoid being noticed – that’s 1.2 million cars going out of their way to save face!

Andy Sutton, marketing director at Peugeot, commented: "What you drive says a lot about you, so a large proportion of people understandably don’t just want a ‘me-too’ kind of car. One in five drivers admits a car’s appeal decreases the more people have one. Style is also of key importance, with most people acknowledging that respect and admiration for what they drive is important to them.

"Once individuals have made their choice and purchased a car, their moment of reflection and pride can come, quite literally, when they catch a glimpse of themselves in building or shop windows, our research seems to show!

"Here at Peugeot, for example, we too have attracted a huge amount of interest in the new 407 Coupé from executives, who want the attributes of a Saloon, but with the Coupé style and other striking features, to help them draw those admiring glances they’re after."

Regional differences

People in the North West are most likely to want to be seen in a car which is admired as they go past (36%)

Drivers or passengers in the North West and Greater London are most likely to admire themselves in windows (30% and 25%). People in the North East are least likely

Londoners are most likely to gain self-confidence from a nice car (21%), but neighbours in the South East and East Anglia are least likely (12%)