Should Porsche owners feel any responsibility to the brand

There's a provocative post on a California Porsche board about whether Porsche owners should feel any responsibility to the image of the brand to follow the same rules of etiquette that came from a Ferrari site (link below) to do such things as keep their car washed, be polite to people who come up and ask questions, not scream through traffic, etc, etc. The overwhelming consensus there was that the whole concept of being a representative of the brand and having any such responsibility was utterly rediculous. Anyone here (especially those outside of California) care to weigh in on the concept? <a href="http://www.ferrariclub.com/faq/etiquette.html" target="_blank">http://www.ferrariclub.com/faq/etiquette.html</a>

That is a joke right? I think most of us enthusiasts keep our cars clean anyways and I'd like to believe I am polite to everyone irregardless of what I drive. From what I have seen, screaming in traffic, road rage, etc, maybe we should start with a responsibility to the human race, before a brand.

Well said. I think people in general need a healthy dose of good old common courtesy.

The question presented is not whether everyone should be nice to everyone else, its whether Porsche owners should feel any additional responsiblity as representatives of the brand, i.e. more than they would feel as an anonymous driver for some mass market vehicle.

A Porsche owner should have the same "responsibility as representatives of a brand" as the owner of a Ford Focus, a Kia or a Yugo. In other words, no responsibility at all. It's a car. I keep my Porsche clean because I like it clean. I also keep my Honda and Navigator clean. I am equally accommodating to questions about my Honda ("How do you like your new Accord?") as I am about my Porsche ("Is that a Turbo?").

I agree with adscab. This is a personality trait/behavioral issue. If you have pride, are considerate, well spoken, polite...whatever then your car is just one of the many objects that will benefit from these traits. Huh! What did he say? <img border="0" alt="[soapbox]" title="" src="graemlins/soapbox.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[icon107]" title="" src="graemlins/icon107.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" />

I'll keep my car clean and talk to those who ask questions because that's the kind of guy I am. Now if PNA would like to pay me a salary so that I pro-actively enhance the brand image by driving around town being nice to people... -jerry

It's been said that a clean car is a sign of a dirty mind. Hmmm. Or was that a clean desk...? It must matter to somebody because they said it!

I'm an airline pilot and I'd just like to say that there seems to be an "entitlement" syndrome that says "I paid for this and I can do anything I like. The others be damned!". We see it a lot in SOME of our First Class passengers. I suppose there is a carry over to the P-car owners. Most are just as wonderful as you would expect them to be. However..... there are those select few that everyone notices.

It's an interesting idea certainly. The style of writing was way over the top, but it brings to mind a thread I brought up several months ago. I had just parked a Ferrari I had borrowed from my father-in-law's friend. After getting out of the car I was almost accosted by a neighbor who had observed me driving through his neighborhood and decided to chase me down in his minivan. I was not speeding or driving improperly - you could tell than some deep seeded jealously had been upset and he just wanted to pick a fight with me. The owner came out and laughed - he told me not to worry - he said people were constantly rude, giving dirty looks, etc. His wife didn't even like to drive with him because of it! I think the Ferrari Owner's web site FAQ is just that particular author/owner's way of trying to do his part to change the impressions that he precieves people have of him and his cars. ~Scott

"After getting out of the car I was almost accosted by a neighbor who had observed me driving through his neighborhood and decided to chase me down in his minivan." I've had similar reactions also. I prefer to keep a low profile, but always used my P-car for everyday errands. So I've had my share of jealous outbursts from shoppers at Home Depot or slackers at the coffee shop. Maybe I should take the Pathfinder instead?

can you give us the link to the California Porsche board?

It seems that I am in the minority of people in this thread, but I completely agree with the Ferrari code of conduct. Of course, I have pride in everything I do - that is the kind of person I am. I am proud of my alma mater (USC) and constantly do what I can to promote it. The same holds true for my Porsche. Many people I know say that they are unjustifiably overpriced, have poor interior finish, and that the owners usually have a cocky attitude, all three of which degrade the image of the brand, IMHO. While part of this may be true, that doesn't mean that I should just accept it as the law of the universe. I, just like the Ferrari owners, want to change the "cocky" image of Porsche owners to one of "generosity and enthusiasm". That's just my $130,000. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Trojan Man: <strong>It seems that I am in the minority of people in this thread, but I completely agree with the Ferrari code of conduct. Of course, I have pride in everything I do - that is the kind of person I am. I am proud of my alma mater (USC) and constantly do what I can to promote it. The same holds true for my Porsche. Many people I know say that they are unjustifiably overpriced, have poor interior finish, and that the owners usually have a cocky attitude, all three of which degrade the image of the brand, IMHO. While part of this may be true, that doesn't mean that I should just accept it as the law of the universe. I, just like the Ferrari owners, want to change the "cocky" image of Porsche owners to one of "generosity and enthusiasm". That's just my $130,000. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Do you fly first class? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

What an utter load of bull****. Porsche is, AT BEST, a vendor to your effort to enhance your personal franchise, not the other way around. If you choose to act like a jerk, the collateral damage done to the Porsche franchise is not consequential and likely incomparable to the damage done to your own. Why look for complicated reasons to be civil?

No, I don't fly first class...I fly myself wherever I want to go. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> As for this being an "utter load of bull****", to each his own. We're all entitled to our own opinions, and I completely respect that. I just happen to disagree. As for myself, I did not buy a Porsche entirely to "enhance my personal franchise". I work very hard at my business, regularly putting in 10-12 hour days 5-6 days a week. I need an escape from that (or a reward, if you prefer). The escape that I wanted had to be: wicked fast, handle like a race car, have a certain level of fit and finish, and be ultra-reliable since it is almost a daily driver. Now for the Off Topic part: I came up with only a few options within my budget: Z06, Viper, BMW M3, Mercedes SL55, Porsche Turbo. The Z06, while a worthy hot rod, is still a Chevy, and comes with cheap plastic parts that don't belong in a $50000 car. The Viper has similar attributes of the Z06, but is even less refined. The BMW M3 is a fine car, but just doesn't cut the mustard in my world. The SL55 suffers from extreme price gouging. That left the Turbo. Sorry for completely leaving the thread, but I thought I'd share my selection process. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />

I think that's a bit harsh Gretch, saying that its an issue not worth even thinking about. What about people who own one of the few or the only 996 in town (like I dare say a lot of us do)? No one knows who the driver is, all they know is its a Porsche (and quite possibly one of the few new ones they've ever seen up close). When you're an American traveling abroad, don't you feel the slightest twang that maybe you should behave a bit better than you otherwise would out of concern that the locals will generalize your conduct on to all Americans?

To be more clear, if a person behaves in such a way as to reflect poorly on his or her character, how is a sense of duty to Porsche, America, your church, or your family any more of a motovating factor toward more civilized behavior. The concept is Silly.

Gretch, well said.

My Porsche is dirty, and has been for a few weeks. The FAQ is hilarious, although many of his "points" are ludicrous. Some folks consider cars to be an extension of their self-worth and regard them as baubles that need to be shined in order to impress strangers. These folks are the "cars as jewelry" set of which the author seems to be a member. Some folks consider cars to be fun toys that enable them to enjoy some tasty pavement, whether they are clean or dirty.