After being bombarded with all kinds of commercials this weekend (mostly car commercials), I got to thinking...

Who actually gives someone a brand new car for Christmas??

You see these ads from Lexus, Acura, and Infiniti hyping up the idea of giving a loved one a new car for the holidays. Does anyone know anyone who actually does that? I see those commercials thinking to myself "Ppffffffffttttt...no one does that!!"

But does it really happen?

 

Sure it does. My parents own a photo lab and a few years back (quite a few now) they printed pictures for someone who hired a professional photographer to come to their home on Christmas morning and take pictures of the car hauler showing up with brand new cars (with bows) for their kids. Lexus sedan of some sort for her and Escalade for him, as I recall.

My Grandpa bought me my first car on a random day in June (the 20th) that might as well have been Christmas, and I'm going to try to get my parents a new car this year when I'm home for Christmas.

 

Sure it happens.

Let's just say .001 percent of the US Population has the means to do this. That's not one percent, or one tenth of one percent... that's one-thousandth of one percent of the population, or one person in every 100,000.

That would amount to 3, 050 new car gifts.

And you don't have to be rich to give a new car as a gift. I gave my Fiance her MINI Cooper in 2006. And it wasn't even a holiday!

 

Yep, it happens. I know a guy who gave his wife an Escalade for mother's day. He also happened to have an Audi and three Porsches at the time, so I guess it wasn't a financial struggle for them. I'm still driving my 16 year old Accord while I'm saving the last few dollars for my MINI... this time next year I'll buy MYSELF an MCS for Christmas!

 

Doesn't this violate a photo lab technician's fiduciary obligation to it's customers?




Anyway, I know that any one of us would love to give that special someone a brand new car. You could pretty much win anybody... not to imply that anybody's special someone is shallow.

 

My folks bought me a new 1978 Subaru when I started college, but in November. They said this is also part of Christmas. Even though I'd had it a few weeks they put a big ribbon around it and a bow, in such a way I could drive it that way for a couple days.

 

I used to be the sales manager for a Porsche dealership in San Diego, you'd be surprised how many new Porsches we sold as Xmas presents, and how many of them were bought by women for men!

 

It's a professional lab, we get to look at all the pictures, show them to everyone else in the lab, and tell all our friends. No expectation of privacy unless you ask for it - in fact the photographer came in to tell us all about it (I used to work there).

 

My guess is that many of these cars were "going to be bought" anyways and that Christmas was just the perfect time to give it. I doubt many people are saying...hmmmm, what to get, what to get...how bout a car?

 

What about the Master Card commercial. Some how you can have a chance to win TWO new Pontiac Solstices'. Thats the only way I could afford cars for Christmas gifts. But then again, I would just sell the two Pontiacs' and buy something good!

 

I'm getting a 2006 for my daughter for her graduation/christmas present.

 

I think that's the case for MOST of them, too.

For instance, I *say* that our MINI is going to be my wife's Christmas Present, but it's basically just because it's arriving around Christmas time. We originally thought it was going to be here at the beginning of December (pre Sport Package delay), in which case, it would have been her "Birthday Present".

 

I do know one guy who gave a car as a gift, but that was an anniversary gift (Jaguar Convertible). Another guy I know almost bought his wife a MINI as a Christmas present, he was looking for a BRG MCS with a checkered roof. I did actually find one possibly available (BRG/B) in Sacramento, but in the end he decided against it. They got an Audi S4 instead (more room for the groceries).

 

I have a friend who received a brand new Porsche from her husband for Christmas one year. And when they would go out of town, she used to give it to me to drive to give it "exercise".

And when it was snowing, the husband used to give me his 7 series BMW to drive because it was safer in the snow than my car because it was heavy and had studded snows.

Good friends!

 

With the money my father lost in the stock market he could have bought me a JCW and a JUSTA for himself for Xmas for crying out loud!

 

Oooh! I need to go to San Diego and get a girlfriend there if thats the case!

 

Sure......my spouse gave me QUID last Christmas!

 

After I get my solid gold toilet I'm buying everyone Minis for their birthday.

 

i would if i could! i think they are just portraying the dream of being able to do that.... more realistically you could buy yourself a new lexus, and thats the goal

 

The end of the year is usually one of the very best times to actually negotiate the best prices on a car. Combine the fact that everyone is out blowing thier money in the malls, nasty weather in alot of parts of the country, taxes and last years models hanging around make for a good time to buy.

 

I just met a MINI Parent today, he is our UPS Rep. and his Wife got him a MINI for Christmas last year...VERY COOL!!!

 

i went to charlotte, nc and picked up a vw beetle on a trailer sunday night..
for my daughter .
orange .tdi black leather heated seats. sun roof..

she will be sooooo excited..

 

My daughter dreams of a beetle too, but unfortunately the best I will be able to manage for her is my old Accord once I get the MINI.... still, it beats walking

 

Actually, my Sister is getting a Mini Cooper S for Christmas. Her husband bought her one last month and has the dealer keeping it until Xmas got the big bow and everything. he's going to park it out front on Xmas morning. Which leaves me trying to figure out what to get her for Xmas... not sure what the best gift for a new Mini owner is (besides the Mini itself).

 

This is soooooooooooo easy to answer...a shell gasoline gift card for 93 octane, you pick the amount. I would love to have this card!