A sentimental relationship

Movies like Christine, Crash, Titane and Rebel Without a Cause have taught us that human beings can develop a close and unique relationship with their car, whose status is sometimes elevated to that of a living, breathing being. Without taking things quite so far, young people are of the view that this is not a consumer product like any other. Conveying values and emotions, while conjuring memories and a sense of freedom, cars inhabit a world in which reason and feelings are engaged in continuous dialogue, with brands acting as key advisors and confidants.

A STRONG ATTACHMENT TO CARS

Although cars can be viewed as simple consumer products, what sets them apart is the relationship their owners have with them. This relationship almost equips them with a personality of their own.

In turn, this can generate a special attachment. Within the youngest demographic, this is true in 8 out of 10 cases (Fig. 14). In China, what we see is a veritable love affair, with a colossal 97% of young people saying they are attached to their car. The Turks, Poles and Italians are almost as enthusiastic, while in the land of cycling, the Dutch are relatively more measured in their feelings (70%). Inhabitants of big cities also harbour a passion for motoring, as do couples with children.

CARS HELP CREATE FUTURE MEMORIES

However, this attachment is not just sentimental. For 45% of young people, the feeling stems primarily from the utility of cars, a viewpoint most commonly held by rationally-minded French motorists (58%), in contrast to the more romantic Portuguese (32%).

Cars also appeal to people’s materialistic side, with 33% of young people regarding them as valuable items. The Portuguese and Americans are the most likely to be in this camp (48% and 42%), while the Japanese are overwhelmingly unmoved in this respect (12%). We’ve known since Back to the Future that cars can be wonderful time machines. The NextGen are unlikely to mock boomers for their views on the subject. 30% of them believe they are the perfect tool for forging memories, which suggests that cars have a bright future. These are memories created by holidays, excursions with family or friends, and outings with one’s first child. The Germans and, once again, the Portuguese are eagerly looking ahead to these automotive memories.

In last place when it comes to sources of attachment is the ability of cars to generate fresh encounters and interactions with others (25 %) (Fig. 15).