BY NAT HAWK
Dear Car Pulled Up Next To Me,
There’s something about me that you need to know.
When it comes to men, I don’t have a type. I’ve dated them all. Light-haired or dark-haired, tanned or pale, Australian or foreign, built or slim – it doesn’t matter. I dated the Greek bartender just as happily as I went to dinner with the lawyer from Melbourne. To me, personality is what matters, and you can’t tell someone’s personality from the colour of their hair or the build of their shoulders.
Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Nissan Qashqai. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in her own words.
But when it comes to cars, I have a type. And you are my type.
You see, I like Utes. But not the ones that are really low down to the ground, and definitely not the ones that are all-work-no-play, with their aluminium trays and giant “Jim’s Mowing Services” stickers plastered across the body of the car.
I like big, rugged, powerful Utes, like you. The kind of car that is a hybrid between Ute and four-wheel-drive.
You’re practical, and still a little bit luxurious. You’re happy at work, and you’re just as happy driving up the mountain through thick snow, or cruising over the sand dunes on the back roads to the beaches.
In my mind, the Hot Ute (as I’ve nicknamed you) will always be driven by an equally hot gentleman. The kind of guy that will sweep me off my feet and take me off on an adventure that involves something crazy-romantic, like hiking through beautiful bush land before coming to a deserted beach, where we go swimming in crystal-clear waters before dining on a picnic of brie and fresh raspberries and wine and Tim-Tams.
(Wishful thinking? Me? Never.)
So now that you’ve pulled up next to me, I’ve kicked right into full car-flirting mode. I’ve stopped singing along to Clarity by Foxes (oh how I love that song) and I’ve stopped applying lip-gloss and fiddling with my eyebrows. Look, I’ve even arranged my face into what I hope is a neutral yet attractive expression.
And yet I’m a little scared to look over at the person who is driving you, Hot Ute. Generally, my fantasies about your driver are way off the mark.
You see, Hot Utes are generally occupied by an older guy who looks completely disinterested in me or anything to do with bush land and beach picnics. Often, there are also children in the back of the Hot Ute, and the fantasy falls apart completely.
Indeed, the more I drive around, the more I found there is little to be said for car stereotypes. Just as Hot Utes rarely contain hot men, you have to be careful with associating any type of car with a particular group of people.
After all, I drive a car that my friends regularly refer to as the Soccer Mum Car. It’s the classic all-wheel-drive kind of people mover that is built specifically for ferrying small children to school and sport. And yet I don’t have any kids (or at least, any that I know of). The car was just cheap and relatively awesome, so I went with it.
My dad drives the kind of convertible that is generally associated with women that resemble Barbie dolls. There is absolutely nothing about him that is even slightly effeminate – he just likes convertibles and couldn’t afford a Lamborghini.
I know mothers who drive tiny, bright red hatchbacks. I know tradies who drive old sedans with furry seat covers. I know twenty-something-year-old girls who drive family-size hatchbacks and office workers who drive giant vans (not that they have anything to put in those vans, really – but they’re the first to get a call when someone needs something moved).
So, car pulled up next to me, maybe you’re not the one for me after all. And look, the light has just gone green. So while a part of me will always love you unconditionally – you better just keep on driving.
Love,
Nat
What type of car do you drive, and what does it say about you?
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Top Comments
This so true about car types vs people types. I'm a slightly overweight, short 34 year old woman with bright red hair (not natural) and I am rarely seen without makeup or not in a dress! Yet I drive a hotted up V8 commodore that you can here coming from roughly 5kms away! I have always loved loud and fast cars, its just me, cant explain it. Though I know my car can do it I never speed or hoon around so that's not why I like these sort of cars, I just like to know I could if I wanted to :) I have young guys in their hotted up cars that pull up next to me at lights and you can see they are visibly shocked to see me at the wheel. I just get a good giggle out of it and sometimes I might show them that yes I do know how to drive a 6 speed manual better than their showpony autos lol. Its even funnier when I have my boyfriend in the car who actually looks like the typical guy that would drive my type of vehicle (he actually drives a camry) and you can see the look on peoples faces, oh hes just letting the Mrs drive.... if only they knew!
I honestly feel that there is something very sexy about a woman driving a hot car be it a Falcon, Commodore, Jag, Merc, whatever it may be. In the 80's I went out with a girl who owned a manual "blue meanie" and she really knew how to drive it well. I used to love being her passenger on the Great Ocean Road. I've owned quite a few different cars over the years and my favourite was my 1977 XC Falcon Interceptor. It was a genuine police interceptor that was bought from Vic Pol after 20,000kms by the policeman who used it most of the time. It ran all the police engine mods when I bought it off him so was as quick as an XY GT. The only problem was it was bright canary yellow. So I painted it a dark Navy Blue. Viv, the blue meanie girl was the only female who ever enjoyed driving it as it had a really heavy clutch. She was the only other person apart from myself that I ever felt happy letting them drive the car whatever gender. The second biggest regret of my life I have is selling it. One day I will buy another muscle car and do it up. My other wish is for a late 60's sports car like an Etype, an early 911, a GT40 or the ultimate, a Miura. For now I get around in a Mazda6 Diesel wagon. Its actually got plenty of power room for my bike and other bits and pieces and my work gear in it and its a manual. Oh and I get around 5litre per 100kms out of it if I don't belt it too hard. Its a great car.
Theres nothing more I love then an old v8 eg 2 door HQ Monararo or any torana or ford cortina or GT. Now to get rich so I can have one.:/
Yes love all those a mate had one with a 350 Chev engine it went like a bat out hell.
Ive always believed that people should learn to drive on a manual gearboxed car as it makes them a better driver.
I bought my 3rd Commodore in December. I am NOT a small car person (despite being tiny myself). I do a lot of kms for work, and get a fuel allowance. I have always run my cars on LPG due to the amount of travel I do as our allowance is tied to engine size - small car fuel bills, large car allowance. I am often transporting large numbers of musical instruments or sheet music, so I need the large boot. I also like to take off fast (I don't speed though). If I didn't do so many kms, I would have a V8 for sure. Tomboy at heart!
We had a dual cab 4wd ute before we moved to the US. Most practical car we ever owned, possibly with the exception of the Subaru Forester we had in the US (because we were scared of snow). When we stop making Commodores and I need to upgrade I will probably get another Forester.
The Forester is a great vehicle and especially for a small SUV incredibly safe. My brother had his daughter strapped in the child seat and was turning into his driveway when he was hit from behind by a hoon in a Skyline who was street racing. The police estimated the impact speed at approximately 150kmh. The Forrester was flipped into air did a somersault and landed on its roof on my brothers front deck which shattered. The rear was deformed and crumpled as it was designed the roof was dented and didn't deform too much. Apart from a broken shoulder from the seat belt neither was hurt just shocked. So I will always feel safe in a Forester.
Im a Suby girl too. I had an impreza and now with kids i drive an Outback.
My mum was driving her liberty and was t-boned by a 4wd with bullbar. It wasnt at high speed but nevertheless it hit her window at head height. Only some minor bruising to my mum. So lucky!