Business Owners....

[ROCMAN]

I touched on this on another thread.
Do you fellow business owners ever drive your GT or other high priced car to work?
Are you careful about showing your employees what you can and can not afford?
Does it make you feel guilty when you drive away in your $150K car and they get into their Hondas?
I do not really feel guilty, but I just do not want to rub it in.
Am I just being overly sensitive?
All of my employees are cool, but sometimes I feel like they are looking at me in a different light.

 

[EasyEric]

When I bought the car, I vowed to never drive it to work. I don't want the scrutiny.

Eric

 

[canibl]

Let's just say that the only people who know I have the car are the people I don't know.

 

[SLF360]

I'd be cool about it.

They'll find out about it anyhow. Just make sure people understand you are passionate about it. Being hardworking and successful, they'll even be proud about it sometimes, you'd be surprised ! Our Boss has a... and stuff I've heard more than once. If you take it to the racetrack from time to time and they understand that aswell even better.

However if you do then drive it (sometimes) to work, be conscious to have a plan how you present it. All America is proud about the car, don't forget this either in the equation ! it's not that you roll in in a golden Stretchbentley, ya know.. and that you have money if you do they know it already from house, boat, plane or whatever you fancy. People aren't stupid, in general. :wink

stefan

 

[Neilda]

I own a business and have yet to drive the GT to the office. I did not drive the Murcielago in either - part of the reason is that my office is in a small London courtyard with a width barrier! I could get the Vanquish in, but the not the really wide stuff.

But it's an interesting question. I don't mind my employees knowing - I work a 70 hour week, have done for a decade, have built the company from a small one to a world leading one. I love cars, always have done - I'm allowed to indulge my passion!

Also it is good to be conspicuously successful to employees - they want to be around successful people, as I do.

In front of customers, it's the Range Rover! I wouldn't want my customers to think I was making too much money! :wink

 

[Specracer]

For me not one person that I work with knows, nor will. Just my style..

 

[BigsGT]

As a business owner, I feel it's better to be proactive and let key people know you are getting it/have it but not make a big deal of it to the rank and file. As my employees found out about my Viper over time they were excited that I had it and I showed I was too, but I didn't rub anyone's nose in it. I had told my partners and my key employees about the purchase before it occurred.

I showed genuine excitement when I bought the GT and several of my friends/partners/key employees knew I'd been shopping for one. I haven't told the other employees but plan to drive it to work soon as I like to drive my cars and think it's kind of strange if you feel you can't be open about what you have.

If I was an employee and was successful enough to have such a car I might feel differently and want to keep a low profile, but this question was asked of business owners.

 

[B O N Y]

Every day driver is a Volvo 70R, don't want my clients to think about anything except the service and products I offer.

 

[barondw]

I own a business and have yet to drive the GT to the office. I did not drive the Murcielago in either - part of the reason is that my office is in a small London courtyard with a width barrier! I could get the Vanquish in, but the not the really wide stuff.

But it's an interesting question. I don't mind my employees knowing - I work a 70 hour week, have done for a decade, have built the company from a small one to a world leading one. I love cars, always have done - I'm allowed to indulge my passion!

Also it is good to be conspicuously successful to employees - they want to be around successful people, as I do.

In front of customers, it's the Range Rover! I wouldn't want my customers to think I was making too much money! :wink

Neil

I agree especially the difference with customers.

Dave

 

[SLF360]

Neil,

agree totally, also with the client point, I forgot to outline this but it is very, very sensitive indeed.

However I think people also should understand these cars are not bought out of boredom where to burn your hardearned cash, but that it is a passion and a hobby, that having such a car for yourself as reward means realizing a long held dream..Which is particularily easy given the GT heritage, for us mid-aged boys !

In that sense, again, the GT beats the Lambo by far. I think in US, it even beats the Ferrari, being so American. In Italy, to be seen. Ferrari rules here a lot. However, people with non italian license plates (like me, driving German ones), have an easier time generally. How often people mentioned the Schumacher thingy when they see I drive German plates, can not be recalled precisely.....

Stefan

 

[Neilda]

As I also buy cars for my staff from time to time - so I feel even less guilty! I bought one a new Lotus Elise as a wedding present and another a PT Cruiser (he really liked it!) as a suprise. Another a vintage Jaguar.... etc.

So I'm not wracked with guilt about my own cars....

 

[B O N Y]

As I also buy cars for my staff from time to time - so I feel even less guilty! I bought one a new Lotus Elise as a wedding present and another a PT Cruiser (he really liked it!) as a suprise. Another a vintage Jaguar.... etc.

So I'm not wracked with guilt about my own cars....

...need a branch office in Fresno :biggrin
... a C type is on my Christmas wish list arty :club arty

 

[Docrug]

Take the GT to work day:

:banana My GT stays @ the office along with my wifes vette or at least one of our other cars. It seemed everyone was almost as excited as I was when I finally was able to find one. I've never really been that concerned about it, but then again I'm here before they get here and still here long after they go home. They also get regular raises, bonuses and extra paychecks, and are treated more like family than hourly employees. I have never tried to hide the fact that we make money like some of my buddies do. I always figured they were smarter than that. :banana

 

[ROCMAN]

Thanks for all the replys. :wink
I have always driven all my cars to work. This is the first one I have had second thoughts about, especially since I have some new employees that I really do not know personally.
All of my older employees are like friends and all enjoy cars.
I was just reading somewhere else how a lot of people never bring them to work, so I thought I might have been doing something inappropriate.
My wife does not really want me to bring it to work, but she really has no say so in the matter, especially with all the damn jewelry I have bought her recently. :lol
I guess I will eventually bring it in. I guess I am still debating. :willy

 

[CHAD]

I've found this car elicits nothing but total excitement, whereas the Itailian exotics really piss people off. I drive mine to work from time to time and EVERYBODY loves it.

I would never consider driving a 430,575 or Merci to work (or my Continental for that matter).

 

[427 Mitch]

I own a retail pharmacy in a very poor area the Bronx, so when I drive my Jeep Liberty to work daily, my employees and my customers already think I make to much money.

My employees know about my corvettes because I have had them for quite awhile, but I never mentioned to anyone that I now have the GT.

Mitch

 

[MK2_GT]

Well I am debating the same thing but I guess I am going to stick to my daily driver which is a Porsche Turbo. The Turbo is about the limit where I would feel comfortable.

I worked my a$$ off and co-founded and helped built a company the last 10 years from 2 people in a garage to a global operation. I really do not feel shame in anyway as we have also spread the wealth quite a bit and even created several other millionaires and many wealthy people in the corporation that had originally started with nothing like me...but.....there are still a few hundred employees that do not know me personally in the building I work in and it just feels strange to drive something as rare as a Ford GT to work...for me, the Turbo is the limit.

 

[Lgaruti]

My people know I'm a car collector and have been one long before most of them were hired. I'll drive several different cars during the week. Years ago I thought it improper to bring them to work but as time went on I realized I was depriving myself of the enjoyment.
We all make our choices as how to spend our money. I do cars. When it comes to customers the Escape Hybrid is in order.
Enjoy your ride and always be modest.

 

[Neilda]

I think as Larry states, modesty is important. Conspicuous wealth is not seen as attractive in the UK. It also depends on your business and how close you are to the people - if there's a hundred people who don't know you (for example) you might create jealousy or animosity which is not healthy.

As to buying cars for staff - I have regularly bought 'one off' gifts for a job well done. If I know someone loves watches, I'll buy them a Jaeger or similar. The gifts always mean a lot, because they're chosen personally by me and with care.

I picked up a hitchhiker a few months back, a young girl that looked a bit scruffy and I thought better me (a decent man) pick her up rather than some of the less than nice people in the world. Turned out she was making a 20 mile round trip (hitching) to sell an old radio for $10 to a pawn shop.

As I chatted to her in my $150,000 car with a $50,000 watch on my wrist - I felt more and more guilty.

I guess in this life we make our own choices and should not be ashamed of our success. In the UK (unlike America) we are ashamed of wealth and nice things get vandalised. One of the (many) good atributes of America is that success is genuinely applauded.

Sorry - I'm rambling! I think we're all (on this Forum) reasonably sensitive people and it sounds like we're making the appropriate decisions according to our particular circumstances......

 

[barondw]

I think at the end of the day its how comfortable you are with your self and how you believe you have treated your employees.

If you feel guilty, insecure, worried, etc. don't do it, if you are fine do it.


Dave