you
Well-known member
In fact, just to elaborate on this point a sec, this is how I see the drives (lol) for buying luxury cars.
Apart from impractical supercars that only the super-rich non workers can afford the middle range luxury cars seem to be a register of how people want to make means from work and not ends. People want reasons to work more than they want things from work. I say this because things like BMW's or Mercedes are really no different to other cars (in essence) they are not massively quicker, or quieter or safer. When you look at what they do compared to non luxury cars you ask yourself why people buy them. The answer lies in the way in which such cars are bought. For example, most BMW's are bought by working people on credit or payment plans. Middle-class, wealthier than average, workers - sure - but worker's nonetheless. To make a generalisation, I think it is safe to say that the target German car demographic is not the private island owning jet set billionaire but the 40k suburban toiler. Unlike the Ferraris the BMW's or Audi's are bought on credit. Here I see the creation of works meaning. It is a way to solve the running out of ends, if you have a certain amount of things you need (roof, food, heat) then very soon you need to find other ends to maintain your work as a means to. You have to find reasons to work. The rise of luxury cars on credit is a register of people's yearning to maintain their focus on the means and not the ends. People live up to (ends) their means so that they can continue their working life - at middle manager level, director, CEO or shareholder level. The rise of luxury goods is a register of peoples unimaginative clinging to the work as the prospects of their ends run dry.
Apart from impractical supercars that only the super-rich non workers can afford the middle range luxury cars seem to be a register of how people want to make means from work and not ends. People want reasons to work more than they want things from work. I say this because things like BMW's or Mercedes are really no different to other cars (in essence) they are not massively quicker, or quieter or safer. When you look at what they do compared to non luxury cars you ask yourself why people buy them. The answer lies in the way in which such cars are bought. For example, most BMW's are bought by working people on credit or payment plans. Middle-class, wealthier than average, workers - sure - but worker's nonetheless. To make a generalisation, I think it is safe to say that the target German car demographic is not the private island owning jet set billionaire but the 40k suburban toiler. Unlike the Ferraris the BMW's or Audi's are bought on credit. Here I see the creation of works meaning. It is a way to solve the running out of ends, if you have a certain amount of things you need (roof, food, heat) then very soon you need to find other ends to maintain your work as a means to. You have to find reasons to work. The rise of luxury cars on credit is a register of people's yearning to maintain their focus on the means and not the ends. People live up to (ends) their means so that they can continue their working life - at middle manager level, director, CEO or shareholder level. The rise of luxury goods is a register of peoples unimaginative clinging to the work as the prospects of their ends run dry.
Last edited:
