Attitudes of drivers of interesting cars

[blueg33]

Today I took the Ferrari for a spin around the Cotswolds. On a nice sunny day you often see quite a few sporty cars. Drivers frequently acknowledged another interesting car with a brief wave or nod of the head.

Today I observed a pattern in the small sample of cars o saw.

I saw:
6 Porsche 911’s of different flavours
4 Caysters
3 Aston Martins
1 McLaren
1 Ferrari

The Porsche drivers stared straight ahead not seeing to register another petrol head.

The Aston drivers looked but no acknowledgement

The McLaren and Ferrari drivers both waved.

My friend who has a 911 waves at other Porsche drivers but is usually ignored. If I am driving the Alfa 9 out of 10 Alfa drivers will acknowledge with a wave.

Interesting I thought.

[Paul Dishman]

I think waving as such is going out of fashion with modern car drivers. I usually get a wave from drivers of older 911 drivers when I’m out in my 911, same thing happens with my wife and her NB MX5.

[Chauffard]

It's an "attitude" to not respond to a wave from a total stranger ?

I've a lot to learn about performance car owners.

[Rough101]

I’m not actually looking into cars to see if the driver is waving.

I wave to all cyclists on hills and road routes, but don’t actually look to see if it’s reciprocated, as not everyone came through the old clubs and I don’t care, but know some guys may take offence.

[Silvanus]

What makes you think someone with an expensive/flash car is a petrolhead? I know loads of petrolheads that don't drive expensive sports cars and supercars, and plenty of motoring enthusiasts that drive cheap/normal cars

[Cheib]

I’ve got an old/classic 911…drivers of other classics almost always wave/acknowledge regardless of make/model. Also get asked about the car a lot more than my modern 911.

[Moulder]

Did you genuinely count?

[Tagteam]

maybe you have some issues and looking for something ?

[mac96]

I have had two cars which usually got acknowledgement from drivers of the same model - a Saab 96 and an MGB.

The Saab, in the 1970s so not then a classic, was probably because they were rare and had the novelty of a headlight flasher; the MGB was in the 90s so other owners were bound to be petrolheads of some kind.

I also found when driving a Fiat X1/9 that I occasionally got a friendly wave from a Ferrari, back when you had to be keen to own a Ferrari. Wouldn't happen now!

The lesson seems to be that the reason was never that the car was expensive although I am not sure what else it proves!

[NDA]

Morgan drivers always wave at each other. I have a 911 too - I've not thought to wave, they're not that unusual.

[119]

I'm amazed you saw all those cars on one drive.

[Bone Rat]

NDA said:

Morgan drivers always wave at each other. I have a 911 too - I've not thought to wave, they're not that unusual.

Caterham driver in the Beacons for past 12 years, usual acknowledgement from drivers of older/classic/interesting cars including modern performance cars, varies between a wave from other 7 type drivers to a nod or raised few fingers. The only drivers who have never even smiled are Morgan drivers. Not sure what it is, but always a stony face under the flat cap...

[NDA]

Bone Rat said:

The only drivers who have never even smiled are Morgan drivers. Not sure what it is, but always a stony face under the flat cap...

Odd. I've had several Morgans - always wave. Not sure about smiling, a bit hard to see if other drivers are smiling or grimacing.

[paulguitar]

Bone Rat said:

The only drivers who have never even smiled are Morgan drivers. Not sure what it is, but always a stony face under the flat cap...

They are concentrating hard, looking for carpenters.

[Caddyshack]

119 said:

I'm amazed you saw all those cars on one drive.

Well, they did say that on a sunny day in the Cotswolds you see a lot of sporty cars. If you drive around the Meon Valley on a sunny day you will see a lot of sporty cars or near Goodwood on breakfast meet days etc.

[Blue62]

I find the whole waving thing a bit odd these days, I don’t know when that happened but I’ve stopped acknowledging drivers of the same marque, just seems a bit naff.

[thegreenhell]

Non-wavers are probably the same ones who don't say hello when you pass them while out walking.

[Jimjimhim]

Blue62 said:

I find the whole waving thing a bit odd these days, I don’t know when that happened but I’ve stopped acknowledging drivers of the same marque, just seems a bit naff.

Depends on the make, if it's quite common then you probably wouldn't.

[OldGermanHeaps]

Just wait until you try riding a motorbike. About 80 percent of riders nod or wave, and literally every day if you are riding in a populated area a teenager will signal you to rev for them or do a wheelie.
Makes you regain faith in the next generation.

[LunarOne]

While road tripping in France this summer, the owner of another Porsche coming the other way flashed his lights at me. I hadn't even twigged that his car was similar as I had the late afternoon sun in my eyes. By the time he'd got close enough for me to see that he had a similar car and I'd decided that I was going to flash back, we'd already passed each other. I'm not very quick on the uptake when it comes to things like that. I always give a nod to other motorcyclists when I'm out on the bike though.