A matter of identity

Category: Editorial

Richard Winfield - editor What is a company car? The modern motor car, particularly ones used for business, touch Robert Dilts' logical levels in several places.

Some 15 years ago, before the worldwide web, I published a newsletter on paper called Brefi Briefing. I remember in one issue writing that a company expresses its values through its company cars. At the time I was thinking about the shortage of oil but I realise now that cars communicate other values too. They especially reflect, or create, an identity. I worked once for a company related to the automotive industry. Staff were given cars made by their clients and representing their status; they must be four door family cars even though the sales staff believed that they would attract much more attention if they had two door sports cars!

Choice of car is also dependent on behaviour; how many people they typically carry, what sort of mileage and whether there are samples and equipment to be transported. And finally, they also depend on the environment; whether they are for urban use, long distance, or rural.

When it comes down to it, most company cars need to carry a single person in reasonable comfort with reliability and cost effectiveness. Why then is there such a variety of cars on the road? Why are most cars for business use not Ford Fiestas or similar? A car is more than a means of transport, as seen by the different logical levels.

I am faced with such a decision now. In my time I have had a great variety of vehicles. I have had a Fiat Panda, a 2CV, and also a top of the range Rover and Honda Grand Tourer; all jumbled up according to what was going on in my business. What they had in common was that all the ones that I chose had a personality, were classics in their own way. My environment and behaviour impacted on these. At one time I had a small farm then, later, what could be called a country estate. In these cases the ability to carry things was important. Mud and wellington boots were an important part of my life and my identity. For many years I averaged 30,000 miles per year, at one time commuting 200 miles at night to and from London.

More recently I have lived in suburbia, where I have done only 7,000 miles a year and I am about to move into a city centre apartment, where I am likely to do even less.

What sort of vehicle is appropriate for the identity of a metropolitan man, a successful professional; what sort of vehicle is suitable for city traffic and parking; what sort of vehicle is suitable for a low annual mileage? Is it relevant that occasionally I attend an exhibition and carry all my display equipment – or should I be prepared to hire a van on such occasions?

My most satisfactory car use period was when I lived in Cardiff and had an account with a car hire company. I could choose just what I wanted for an occasion and noticed when doing my accounts that I actually only hired about once a month.

That is probably the logical solution – but should I not indulge myself as well? After all, a car is more than a means of transport; it has other functions than just to move us around.

I had a card for Father's Day which said: "Life is a song. Live the music."

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