Secret Car Clubs

It has been announced that Mini sales are set to be the highest ever this year, with an estimated 200,000 being sold. But when people buy a Mini, they might not realise it, but they are buying into more than just a car.

There is a whole community associated with Minis, new and old (but especially old). And not just with Minis – drivers of Beetles and vintage cars such as Triumphs also often enter into a car community too. Most people know about car enthusiast clubs, but secret car clubs have been hiding away for years, known about only by those who participate.

When two Minis or two Beetles pass each other on the road, the drivers often wave and flash their lights in recognition. Though they might not know the actual person driving, they see and acknowledge the car.

Why do they do this? Well, people like to express themselves through how they look; consider the popularity of clothes and fashion for example. The car someone drives is an extension of their personality and how they like to be seen, so by choosing a quirky car, they are expressing that side of themselves. When they see someone else with the same type of car, they know there is someone who is probably quite similar to them, and a connection is made.

There is also an element of mutual appreciation. They know they love their cars and they see someone else who obviously agrees with them, so they make a friendly gesture.

Rebecca Pearson, of www.duck2watercarinsurance.co.uk who is herself a Beetle owner, says,

"Looking at a sample of our car insurance customers, men and women both young and old seem to love Beetles. From our research, we see there are two groups that they seem to be the most popular with. There are those in the 20-35 age bracket who enjoy the young, funky image, and those in the 35-50 age range who are more likely to buy a Beetle because they remember the old Bugs with fondness."

Some people even form drive-by friendships with people who have the same car as them. On the daily commute to work, they sometimes pass the same people every day, and so it becomes a regular thing for the person in the red Mini and the person in the blue Mini to wave at each other in the morning.

So why doesn’t this happen with all cars? Well, not all cars have the character element, which is what attracts the enthusiast community. Some cars might look nice, but they don’t have the cheeky look of a Bug or the classic lines of a Triumph Spitfire.

Sadly, more and more people don’t realise the community that they get with their car, and don’t return the waves and smiles. Rebecca has experienced this a lot. "Not everyone waves back. Sometimes you get strange looks from people, who are clearly wondering what you are doing." So if someone is waving madly, join in the fun and wave back! Enter the secret car club!
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Editorial notes: Duck2Water provides cheap online car insurance with free legal expenses insurance to the UK. For a free quote go to www.duck2watercarinsurance.co.uk or call 0808 144 0136.

Author: Alexandra Gubbins. For more information, call 0808 144 0136 or go to www.duck2watercarinsurance.co.uk