Is There Any Truth to the Rumor?

Every now and then, I come across rumors and online articles claiming that “men who frequently change cars are womanizers and unfaithful,” or that “people who constantly switch watches are womanizers and unfaithful.” But if frequently changing cars really does mean someone is unfaithful and woman-obsessed, what does that make my husband…? (-_-)

Just yesterday, he emailed me to say, “I bought a Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG Coupé! (*ﾟ∀ﾟ)!” (lol). As far as I know, the cars he’s owned so far include:

① Two-seater lineup: A few Japanese cars… Audi TT → BMW 318i (not a two-seater, though) → Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 → Boxster GTS
② Five-seat lineup: Audi A3 2.0T → Golf 7 Allstar
③ Sports cars the whole family can ride in: Panamera Edition → Panamera Turbo
④ Short-term ownership lineup: McLaren 650 (I think?) → Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG Coupé
⑤ Classic car lineup: Mercedes-Benz SL

So it’s not just that he changes cars—he owns five at once… If that theory were true, it would mean he had four women on the side in addition to his wife, and switched between them depending on his mood.

…Well, that would make him the absolute worst! ( ﾟдﾟ )!!!

But I’ve never seen him act that way, so I can’t imagine my car-loving husband is a womanizer or unfaithful.

So, as the wife of a car enthusiast, I decided to consider “what frequent car changes really have to do with being unfaithful and woman-obsessed.” I haven’t collected data or interviewed anyone, though, so this is just my personal theory—take it with a grain of salt.

A Four-Type Chart of Car Enthusiasts

I think car enthusiasts fall into a few different types. Here’s my chart.

(This is heavily colored by my own biases, so please take it with a grain of salt.)

I divided car lovers along two axes: “cars as fashion” to “car nerds” on the vertical axis, and “practical” to “emotional” on the horizontal axis. That gives us these four types:

① [Car nerd + practical] = The purist … They want to drive the car they truly want, without compromise. Before buying, they research everything about it and almost certainly know more about the car than the dealership salesperson. They trust the engineers, so they don’t modify their cars.

② [Car nerd + emotional] = The customizer … They want to modify their cars to suit their personal tastes. They’re regulars at Super Autobacs, a large Japanese auto-parts and accessory store. Before they know it, they’ve spent about as much on customizations as they did on the car itself. When inspection time rolls around, they put everything back to stock.

③ [Cars as fashion + practical] = The latest-model fan … They always want to drive the newest model. They sell before the car loses too much value and trade up to something new. It feels like a bargain because they can get the latest model for a relatively small price difference. They often change cars around the end of their company’s financial year.

④ [Cars as fashion + emotional] = The “Look at me!” type … They want women to find them attractive. As soon as they buy a car, they take it out to show off. They’ll say, “Want to go for a ride?” with a smug grin. Every time they change cars, they change girlfriends, too.

So, Which Type Is the Womanizer?

Of these four types, I’m pretty sure my husband is type ①, the purist. My brother is a Subaru enthusiast who modifies his car like crazy, so I’d put him in type ②. Types ①, ②, and ③ are all fine—but…

The problem is type ④, the “Look at me!” type!

It’s the kind of attitude that says, “Look at me—I’m driving a seriously cool imported car! Tell me how amazing I am!” Even if they’re not conscious of it, they have a strong desire to impress women. That means they’re more likely to drive their cars to places where women are—and their chances of meeting women are much higher than those of the other three types.

In sales, people say that results are a product of “quantity × quality.” The more potential customers you reach, the more deals you can close. And the better your sales skills, the higher your conversion rate—and the better your results.

So, if we apply that to type ④(if that’s a fair comparison!)

More chances to meet women (quantity) × the advantage of owning a luxury imported car (quality) = a revolving door of girlfriends (results)

Maybe that’s how it works. Still, people in type ④ must be incredibly good at their jobs. If they can afford to keep changing cars, they must be earning pretty well—and successful men are really attractive to women. I bet they’re thoughtful and attentive, too. Well, well.

So, Here’s My Conclusion

All in all, I don’t think you can simply say that “car lovers are womanizers and unfaithful.” So, rather than blindly believing online articles that say things like “men who love imported cars are womanizers” or “you shouldn’t marry one,” I think it’s better to see for yourself, get a feel for who they are, and judge their character firsthand.

I married a car enthusiast, and sure, there are plenty of times when I think, “This guy is nuts!” (lol). But he’s also opened up a whole new world to me and made my life richer, so I’m glad I married him. (Though I can’t deny that cars take up a big share of our household budget.)

Anyway… back to work. (-_-) (lol)