Are you blinded by loyalty?

[jphanna]

I don’t think I am loyal to a brand of anything, but I recon my dad was blinded by his loyalty to his Ford. He used to work for Chrysler in the 60’s and 70’s and bought 2 valiants as a result of that, but after valiants went out of production in 1982, he bought a new XE Fairmont. I don’t ever remember the valiants ever being off the road with repairs etc as a kid, but the XE had a major transmission failure in the first year. The airconditioning compressor failed and it had an serious engine problem which I wasn’t sure of exact details and the power steering pump failed and got replaced. I bought it off him at 73,000km in 1991, so it wasn’t what you call a high mileage car.

After he sold me that car he bought…..an EA falconr. He threw so much money into that car, he could probably have bought an FPV GT and still had change left over, and there is no end in sight to money being spent on it by me, as I took it over after he died last year.

He kept that car in a brick garage built into the house. No heat, dust or water could get in. there was carport was tacked onto the outside of the house exposed to everything and when he bought mum a new corolla worth $25,000, he kept that in the carport and left the ‘worthless’ EA in the garage. I said to him that the EA should be outside and mums car in the garage……NO WAY was the reply.

That is loyalty. Would you do the same?

[Fekason]

As a starting point, I believe that overall loyalty is a good thing. In personal relationships, it is vital but less so in the material sense.

That said, in cars I started with three Triumphs, before going to the first Honda Accord landed in Australia. I would have stayed with Honda if the Legend had the $25K initially predicted and not the $38K it came out at - I needed a bigger car than the Accord by then.

My initial big car was F**d. Subsequently, I have now had three F**Ds and three Commodores. I have had a much better run with the Commodores than that other Asutralian brand, and will probably stay with Holden in the future unless they let me down or an alternative makes noticably better economic sense.

When I bought a VS II, I had a Fairmont Ghia. I got a quote from both Holden and Ford. The local F**d salesman appeared to assume that I was a true F**D fan and his offer was low. He exhibited a need for anger management training when he rang to follow up and found out that I had bought a Holden. The 25% saving in changeover cost (and the fact that the VS was a 1997 model versus 1996) made it a no brainer.

Summary: Loyalty is good, blind loyalty is, umm, risky at best, dumb at worst.

[STEALTHY™]

I'm not. I'm probably 80% Holden, 10% Ford, 10% the rest.


If i was in the market for anything over $30,000, i would choose an F6 Sedan, or some sort of Audi wagon (mmmm AWD V8) before i chose a later model commodore.

[CANYONERO]

loyalty toward cars? pfft. bugger that. i go with what suits me best at the time. got my aunties XD ford as a second car paid $500 and it was in VERY good nick and manual! no probs with it at all. sold it for a VS ute, had some small dramas with it but did the job, bought the holden coz ford ute in that range were very dated. buy a 96 ute and have the same rear end as a 81 XD? no thanks.

bought the VY coz i wanted a V8 and i feel that ford V8's arent as good. next car may well be a ford again because dare i say it, i will probably be leaning towards a practical family car with comfort, so looking at the 6 cyl range i think ford have got it all over the holden.

[Bax]

Not at all, everything gets a look in.

[love the general]

i am a bit i think i'm not a fanatic and i give credit where credits due in the fact that ford are making some nice cars now i love the look of the bf xr's and gt's and the new ford 6's are an great motor by all accounts but i would probably never buy one because i just like holdens

[Cobez]

Give me an F6 Typhoon ute over any Holden past a VS anyday!

[Steery]

Seeing as I would take a JZX100 Chaser (manual) over a VE 6.2L R8 (if I could not sell it) and the Holden is worth $50 - $60 grand more, i'd say thats almost blind loyalty.

[Pete_perth]

Sadly I am a fanatic - don't ask me why, I just am, I was born into a Holden family and I will always be a Holden man. No I can't explain it, I have no reason beyond blind loyalty and I am willing to admit it. I hate it when I see Holden's broken down on the side of the road. I hate hearing Holden bashing but can appreciate that others have a different point of view and I keep my mouth shut. I would never get into an argument or fight over Holden's Vs anything, it's a private loyalty to the brand. Good or bad, I just love them. Some may think that's sad or pathetic or that I could use some serious couch time, but that's ok, I think on some level it's good to be passionate about something, whether it be cars, a favourite TV show, fishing, golf, camping whatever, as long as there is something in your life you can get a buzz out of.

[danja]

There's a difference between being loyal to something which is good, and blind loyalty in the face of facts which would cause an impartial person to distance themselves.

I'm only loyal to things that treat me well. So far all my cars have earned my loyalty, Holden or no.

[cewing]

Im a holden man in a holden family, surrounded by holden friends.
However, when i sell my vy, the new falcon is gonna get seriously considered, cause the VE interior doesnt impress me one bit