| When Henry Ford first started producing automobiles | | | | would ever drive a car with an automatic |
| to realize his dream of a car for the common man, a | | | | transmission." Again, many men own and drive cars |
| car was, well, a car. Although an object of desire, it | | | | with automatic transmissions. |
| was still an object. It did not have a persona nor did it | | | | A third classification reads "any sports car that is |
| have a gender. Although in the early days, most of the | | | | available only with a four-cylinder engine and an |
| drivers were men. However, the invention of the | | | | automatic transmission. While the automatic |
| electric starter put women in the driver's seat. | | | | transmission is questionable, the four-cylinder engine |
| And once women started to drive cars it naturally | | | | has some validity, as men are known to favor |
| followed that sooner or later women would start to | | | | powerful engines where as women consider |
| buy cars. So men bought cars, women bought cars | | | | economy. In analyzing the buying habits of men and |
| and couples bought cars together. However, along | | | | women who love and buy sports cars, most women |
| with technology, car manufacturing became more and | | | | limit their purchases to $30,000.00 while men shoot for |
| more sophisticated in its effort to appeal to a buying | | | | the $100,000 mark. |
| public. At first, we heard the words sports car, sedan, | | | | Another definition reads, "Any car painted in pink, light |
| luxury car, hardtop, and convertible. | | | | blue, or champagne is a chick car." This might be more |
| Then not so long ago, the phrase "guy car" and "chick | | | | meaningful as it is difficult to imagine a Fortune 500 |
| car" started to pop up. These categories were | | | | executive, a truck driver, or a construction worker |
| established by young buyers not by grandmothers | | | | behind the wheel of a pink car. |
| driving Lincoln Continentals or soccer moms in a SUV. | | | | And finally a "chick car" can be categorized according |
| So just what is a "chick car?" It is not, as the name | | | | to the buyer's perception. The car has to be perceived |
| might suggest, a means of transport for chickens. It is | | | | as reliable - a car that can be depended on to make it |
| a car owned and driven by women but not all women. | | | | to its destination. In this category, most Japanese cars |
| However, it is hard to define, as there are so many | | | | were identified as "chick cars" while British cars were |
| definitions. Urban dictionary defines a chick car as "a | | | | categorized as "guy cars." |
| car that is mostly driven by females, but is occasionally | | | | Examples that have been given of "chick cars" in |
| driven by males." | | | | addition to most Japanese cars, are the new VW |
| As an example, they cite the Volkswagen Beetle. | | | | Beetle in any color but black (black makes it a guy |
| However, Volkswagen sold over a million Beetles, so | | | | car); the Mazda Miata, the VW Rabbit convertible, and |
| some men must have driven them more than | | | | the VW Jetta. |
| occasionally. Another definition given is "a car that | | | | However, in the final analysis, "chick car" may be |
| looks sporty, but has an automatic transmission," with | | | | synonymous with beauty. It is all in the eyes of the |
| the accompanying remark that "no man with two legs | | | | beholder. |