The connection between a person’s personality and their car has existed since the invention of the car. In fact, think back to Fred Flinstone’s Flintmobile. Fred Flintstone’s car had plenty of space for his family and room for a pet, clearly demonstrating that he was a loving family man, who was also a blue-collar worker (Fred’s boss, Mr. Slate, showed off his white-collar status in a clearly niftier Stone Age sports car).
A quick Google search of “famous car personalities” revealed, among other things, cars driven by the world’s wealthiest people and what it says about them. Though it doesn’t make the personality statements, one article reports that Facebook’s Mark Zuckerburg drives a modest $30,000 Acura TSX. And Google’s Eric Schmidt reportedly rolls around in a second-gen Toyota Prius worth $12,000. You can draw your own conclusions. My dad has been known to proudly report “I only drive American cars and I’m on my first wife.” And, I once heard that “if you drive a Volvo and go to yoga class, there is a 70% chance that you vote as a democrat”. See - what you drive says a lot about your personality.
We also tend to give our cars their own personality. The characteristics we give our cars, from gender to name, reveal a lot about us. In a survey of college students, 50% associate their car with either a masculine or feminine persona, and 25% give their cars a name. The VW Beetle has historically been seen as a “happy” car, confirmed by Volkswagen’s move to include a flower holder in the re-release of the car in 1997. Some obscure European research has determined that the shape of the car can be judged by people in the same way that they judge human faces.
The same can be said about the personality of bikes, and the personality we give our bikes. So, you may be asking why a bike-centric manufacturer leads a blog with a statement about cars. Doesn’t Saris really care mostly about bikes?! That’s not true. The Saris car rack represents the bridge, the connection, between your car and your bike. And we care about what that connection brings you, where it takes you, the adventures it opens up and the freedom it provides.
Just as your car says a lot about you, so does the rack you choose to put on your car. It’s easy to find the connection to your bike rack by looking at the emotions they convey. Is it freedom? Adventure? Togetherness? Family life? Dreaming?
Are you the classic and sleek Bones rack?
Are you the small footprint, low profile, easy to use and innovative Superclamp?
Are you the accommodating, fits-all, workhorse Freedom rack?
Are you the elegant but modest Axis aluminum rack?
Are you the sophisticated, ingenious SUPERBones?
You can be sure that Saris has taken care of guaranteeing that your car and your bike will be safe and secure. With that peace of mind, all you have to do is find the car rack that best fits you, load your bike and go. Matching the personalities of you, your car and your bike brings out the beauty of this relationship. And it turns the mundane act of transporting your bike into a fun event that plays up the joy that will follow when your bike is unleashed. Ride on in style!
By Sarah Reiter, Product Manager