whats the most prestigious badge

[VtecMini]

You seem to think that all people who purchase Ferraris, are bloody idiots.

Nope, didn't say that. I said that the majority of new Ferrari owners are seen that way in the UK. That was the whole point of my post. Maybe you missed that.

Come to Italy and say that and you wont make it back alive. It is a fact that Ferraris are desirable, but I do not think they are desirable because they are expensive, i think they are desirable because it is simply a Ferrari.

Once again, assuming that it's me that you are telling this to, I'm not disagreeing. I'm yet to go to Italy, so I wouldn't know. But I'll happily take your word for it.

If I were to speak exactly how I felt about Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin and Mclaren, I would be the victim of numerous attacks from all of you fanboys.

If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm just going to laugh myself into a coma. I think there's enough irony in that statement to keep an army of politicians in employment for a year.

Now if you see a silver MB flying down the road you hardly notice it, because nearly all of the cars on the road are silver. Now if you see a Rosso Corso Ferrari screaming past you, you notice it,

Bit of an unfair comparison I'd say. But if you had to make some comparisons, I'd say that I'd snap my neck just as much to see a TVR, Aston Martin, Lambourghini or perhaps a Ford GT. The latter one makes the argument rather redundant. Since it's made by Ford. Which didn't even make it close to making it into this poll I'd imagine.

alot of you can learn from Jeremy Clarkson, he is an English Ferrari lover, sounds as if it is an oxymoron, but no it is not. he loves Ferrari because he knows better, they are great cars nearly nothing comes close to them, or even just the history and legends behind the badge, that should be enough, but it is not.

Once again, I feel you are reading into something that isn't there. Nobody hates Ferrari over here. We're in awe at their cars as much as anybody. I have not once said that I dislike Ferrari, I think they're great and I'd love to own one. But I'd have it due to it's sporting capabilities, so probably a 360CS. I would never, ever own a car purely on it's badge. Not my style. I buy things based on their own individual merits. Which is why I am boycotting Sony stuff, which I believe to be the most overrated and poorly manufactured electronic goods in the world. If I were to drive the new Proton GT car coming soon and it drove fantastically well and cost less than it's rivals, I'd buy it. I sure as hell don't care what the little badge on the back says.

Well I am done speaking now, I was rather offended when I read what VtechMini had to say, but I realized that everyone has their own opinion, even if it is wrong.

In which case you have my sincerest apologies. I didn't mean to offend anyone. I was just trying to deliver an honest opinion of the image that Ferrari has over here. Matra agrees with me. I'm not having a dig at Ferrari, I'm just trying to expand your understanding of how Ferrari is portrayed. The thing that annoys me is you try to tell me that my opinion is wrong. I'd say that's rather ignorant. I believe you when you say that Ferrari is seen as the greatest thing in Italy. So maybe you should believe me when I say it isn't the case here.

[Fabio Ferrari]

Nope, didn't say that. I said that the majority of new Ferrari owners are seen that way in the UK. That was the whole point of my post. Maybe you missed that.

Once again, assuming that it's me that you are telling this to, I'm not disagreeing. I'm yet to go to Italy, so I wouldn't know. But I'll happily take your word for it.

If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm just going to laugh myself into a coma. I think there's enough irony in that statement to keep an army of politicians in employment for a year. Bit of an unfair comparison I'd say. But if you had to make some comparisons, I'd say that I'd snap my neck just as much to see a TVR, Aston Martin, Lambourghini or perhaps a Ford GT. The latter one makes the argument rather redundant. Since it's made by Ford. Which didn't even make it close to making it into this poll I'd imagine.

Once again, I feel you are reading into something that isn't there. Nobody hates Ferrari over here. We're in awe at their cars as much as anybody. I have not once said that I dislike Ferrari, I think they're great and I'd love to own one. But I'd have it due to it's sporting capabilities, so probably a 360CS. I would never, ever own a car purely on it's badge. Not my style. I buy things based on their own individual merits. Which is why I am boycotting Sony stuff, which I believe to be the most overrated and poorly manufactured electronic goods in the world. If I were to drive the new Proton GT car coming soon and it drove fantastically well and cost less than it's rivals, I'd buy it. I sure as hell don't care what the little badge on the back says.

In which case you have my sincerest apologies. I didn't mean to offend anyone. I was just trying to deliver an honest opinion of the image that Ferrari has over here. Matra agrees with me. I'm not having a dig at Ferrari, I'm just trying to expand your understanding of how Ferrari is portrayed. The thing that annoys me is you try to tell me that my opinion is wrong. I'd say that's rather ignorant. I believe you when you say that Ferrari is seen as the greatest thing in Italy. So maybe you should believe me when I say it isn't the case here.

Alright mate, I apologize if I got angry with you, as I see now, you are not a bad guy, and there was nothing wrong with what you said mate. Cheers.

[fpv_gtho]

No we're not trying to brain wash anybody fpv_gtho, it's just that
audivwmeister attempt at comparing Toyota to Ferrari was absurd, that's all. There are many prestigeous car makers out there and it's important to point out that prestige is something that is EARNED over time.

I can accept that easily enough, i ws just reacting to some of the things Fabio Ferrari was saying

[henk4]

Having now read this thread for the first time (or more glanced through it) I can't help noticing that two brands are seriously missed:
Jaguar and Maserati. Why an upstart like pagani is included escapes me, although for some odd reason EggNog voted for it.
Probably Mercedes has the highest prestige image among the general people, certainly in the countries where I am now temporarily residing, It would not be my choice, but that's beyond the question.
I liked DP's choice of the mini. I think I'll join him.

[fpv_gtho]

perhaps the new S type and X type have tainted the image of Jaguar just enough for it to slip peoples minds for an immediate pick

[RS6]

I think the title belongs to Bugatti. You have to be into 20s and 30s cars to see my point. Bugatti is one of my favourite brands of cars because they produce cars to such a great level. I mean look at some of Bugatti's sports cars. They are draw droppingly beautiful to look at. And in terms of luxury, nothing beats the Type 41 'Royale'.

Bentley and Rolls Royce also come to mind. I also think Jaguar and Aston Martin are very prestigious too. But, in terms of style, I don't think you can beat Bugatti.

[jcp123]

And in terms of luxury, nothing beats the Type 41 'Royale'.

A V16 Cadillac, Packard Twin 6, Rolls Royce Phantom II or Duesenberg SJ come close though. You could even run a Hispano Suiza up in that league.

[Hispano Swissa]

It is my personal bias saying that no present marque can equal the prestige of cars made before WW2.
Back when Hispano-Suiza was the most prestigious marque (to me at least), with Bugatti a very close second.
After the 1929 depression it was the beginning of the end for prestigious specialist automobiles whose bodies were crafted by no-less prestigious carrossiers (Saoutchik, Figoni & Falaschi, etc.), the war sped up the process, although some a few of them survive into the 1950s.

If the WV-owned Bugatti redivivus could re-capture the kind of performance, quality, aesthetics, and comfort, equal to what the actual Bugatti achieved (the move back to Molsheim indicates WV wishes to do that) it could reclaim Bugatti's prestige.

As for present-day marques, I believe a truly prestigious car maker should not debase itself by making sub-compact hatchbacks or compact family sedans, but since making outrageously expensive cars of exception for robber-barrons and autocratic emperors is hardly a self-sustaining activity these days, one should either buy a more generalist car company, find a multinational owner clever enough to preserve the marque's distinctivness, or die an honourable death. That rules out the makers of the A3, the 1-Series, the X-Type, and the A-Class.
Furthermore, one making exclusively sports cars could not in my opinion make such claim either, a safe bet would to have at least one bourgeois four-door car in ones' record, which alas excludes Ferrari and Lambroghini.

Rolls-Royce, Bentley, are not quite what they used to be (but the same can be said about the Britishs motor industry).

Aston-Martin makes performant high-quality luxurious prestige coupés in small amounts and although it no longer makes the Lagonda, so it's qualfied. Maserati has returned now and makes luxurious prestige cars notably the Quattroporte, so it qualifies as well.
Neither enjoys much recognition as being “most prestigious” but that's not a relevant factor to me.

I choose Maserati.

[RS6]

A V16 Cadillac, Packard Twin 6, Rolls Royce Phantom II or Duesenberg SJ come close though. You could even run a Hispano Suiza up in that league.

Those Duesenberg SJs weren't only prestigious cars but they were very quick.
The SJs had something like 320 bhp which could get them up to 130 mph and that was in the 30s where cars that could top 100 mph were considered as supercars.

Check this link for the cream.

Duesenberg SSJ LaGrande Roadster

[PerfAdv]

Purely prestige...the BUGATTI. The demise of some cars make them disappear in the past, forgotten. Others are fondly remembered and missed. Then there are the marques that are transformed to myth and legend. Such is Bugatti. Of course, with the second coming things haven't been perfect but how could a car, even Bugatti live up to the myths it created.

Saw an EB110 in Monterey Classics of Pebblebeach or whatever its called, got goose bumps.

[skoobz]

Astons are very classy, but they do not match the performance of many auto makers.

what are you talking about?? in 1914, the car company's name came from the success it had at the aston hill climb!!

fabio, meet the +200mph, 0-62 in 4.8s, 520hp/425tq beast called the v12 vanquish s.

...don't match the performance of many auto makers my ***.

[Fabio Ferrari]

what are you talking about?? in 1914, the car company's name came from the success it had at the aston hill climb!!

fabio, meet the +200mph, 0-62 in 4.8s, 520hp/425tq beast called the v12 vanquish s.

...don't match the performance of many auto makers my ***.

Alright I do not want to start an argument with you, but the fact is that Aston Martin Vanquish can not really compete with other car its class such as the SL 65 AMG and the Ferrari 575M, even Jeremy Clarkson has said that the Vanquish is not as good as many other cars.

[fpv_gtho]

now everyone believes Jeromy Clarkson?

[Luciferous]

How come everyone is voting for ferrari? is there something i'm missing? is the saying 'the ferrari of its field'? no, i think its 'the rolls-royce of its field'. thats enough to convince me of prestige. i don't mean to cheapen ferrari in any way but i dont think of purely prestige, i might think of prestige performance, but (big statement coming up) performance isnt everything in a car. its the mentality and character of the car, or in this case, of the car maker. i'm sure even hardcore ferrari fans could appreciate this. RR have always based their cars around being purely prestige and everything else second, because like it or not, the moment the car maker focusses on something other than being prestige then its products no longer have that purity. and, well, ferraris are very good at what they do, but i dont think prestige is their first and foremost concern, which is of course performance.

[Lagonda]

Ferrari: no, Ferrari is the N°1 cliché manufacturer. Great cars, but soo cliché, would never buy one.

Lamborghini: I don't really like them, and a lot of girls don't really know them. But as it's owned by VW these days I wouldn't even think about buying one.

Porsche: It could work, as long as it's not a Boxster or Cayenne.

Aston Martin: Well, they make the perfect car, the DB9.

Bentley: I don't like their style anymore. I'd buy the Continental T or the Continental R or the Azure, but the GT ? no thanks. And it's yet another VW brand becoming too bling.

Rolls Royce: too bling and too grandpa

Bugatti: Well, they were once, like Bentley, cool. But these days with their Vaporware car which will probably suck tremendously (I would bet that the Veyron will suck completely handling-wise). Ooh do I wish they had made the EB118 and the EB218!

Mercedes: I used to hate Mercedes when I was young, my dad always drove Mercedes (always an S-class). I always found them to be ugly and boring. But I like them more and more these days. I'd buy one.

BMW: I used to like BMW a lot. Really I loved them but since they produced that new "thing" of a 7-series... And now the shoe-on-wheels (1-series) and that plastic X3 toy. Ugh they make me sick. Too bad, I just loved the previous 7-series (we had a 735i and a 725tds of those). The new 5-series is acceptable and the 3 series looks like they're heading back in the right direction.

Pagani: I could care less about Pagani, they are awesome cars but have no image outside of the car-freak world. Ask the average man in the street about a Pagani and they won't know what you're talking about.

Maybach: Hell yeah, altough I would never buy one. That's a car too be driven in and I don't want to be driven. I want to drive myself. (idem for the RR)

EDIT: Mod's what's up with the spacing ?