To celebrate Valentine’s Day, breakdown cover provider Green Flag has delved into the nation’s love for cars – with some interesting findings.
The research* reveals that almost one in three (29 per cent) Brits say they love their car, whilst a quarter (24 per cent) claim they couldn’t live without their car. A whopping third (31 per cent) would rather give up sex than give up driving and 30 per cent of Brits would rather have their heart broken than have their car stolen.
London
- A quarter (24%) of those from London have a name for their car
- Nearly a third (30%) of those from London say they love their car
- 1 in 5 (19%) of those from London say they love their first car the most
- Those from London spend more money on their cars than their partners: they spent an average of £1743 on their cars last year compared to £1456 on their cars
- 48% of those from London say they couldn’t live without their partner
- 1 in 10 (10%) Londoners say they love their car as much as they love their partner
Naming Your Car
Brits are showing their motors love by naming them, with a quarter (25 per cent) admitting to having a name for their car. The most common name is a variation on Bessie, Betsy or Betty, although other names cited in the research include Predator, Mad Minnie, Queen B and Regina Fillange.
Spending
Brits are also spending more on their cars than their partners; they spent an average of £1,514 on their cars last year, which is 17 per cent more than they spent on partners. Those who spent the most on their cars were women (£1,569), those in the South West (£2,016) and generation Z (£2,283).
However, generation Z are most likely to share the love, being the only age group who admit to splashing out more on their partners than their cars, spending an average of £2,320 on their partners last year. By contrast, those aged 45-54 spent the least on their partners (£1,133).
Attraction & Driving
Brits hoping to find love this Valentine’s Day, will have a higher chance if they can drive, with a third of Brits (33 per cent) saying they think this makes people more attractive.
But don’t think that means putting the pedal to the metal in the hopes of impressing their soul mate, as safe drivers were voted the most attractive type of driver on the roads by 38 per cent of Brits. Likewise, if you’re an Audi driver, you have a higher chance in the romance stakes with one in ten (11 per cent) voting this the most attractive car manufacturer, followed by BMWs (10 per cent) and Aston Martins (7 per cent).
