# Giant red bows for cars given as gifts **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 4, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-red-bows-for-cars-given-as-gifts/217015 "2003-12-04T20:44:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-red-bows-for-cars-given-as-gifts/217015/1 "2003-12-04T20:44:44Z")
In the TV commercials, whenever somebody gives a car to someone as a gift, whether it’s husband to wife or parent to child or whatever, there’s always this big-ass bow on the car, as if to additionally signify that it’s a present. The first few times I saw these in the ads, I assumed it was just a convention, a bit of visual shorthand to emphasize the “gift” message for the purposes of the commercial (sort of like in movies how a bag of groceries always has a long thin baguette sticking out of it to let the viewer know what’s in the bag). But then I started to wonder: If you were giving a car as a gift and you actually wanted a big-ass bow, could you get one? And if so, will the dealership throw it in for free if you’re buying a car brand-new? Or does it cost extra? Seems like it’s a lot of plastic or whatever they’re made out of. If I wanted to buy it separately — say, I got a car out of the newspaper classifieds and now I want a bow to go with it — how much would it be? I’m still thinking they’re probably fiction, but the more I considered the less certain I am. Anybody ever tried to obtain one? What’s the skinny? ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-red-bows-for-cars-given-as-gifts/217015/2 "2003-12-04T21:01:18Z")
About 5 years ago my ex-father in law bought my ex-mother in law a little Mercedes convertible as an Xmas present. On Xmas eve we went to the garage where it had been stored and drove it to the house. In the trunk was a roll of red plastic (sort of like police tape, only red and withouth writing). We were able to wrap the car up and we topped it off with a big red bow we bought at the drug store. That car was a ton of fun to drive. ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-red-bows-for-cars-given-as-gifts/217015/3 "2003-12-04T21:12:23Z")
Someone has been watching those stupid Lexus commercials they run every year, methinks. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-red-bows-for-cars-given-as-gifts/217015/4 "2003-12-04T21:24:32Z")
Apparently you [can](http://www2.mailordercentral.com/ezlettering/prodinfo.asp?number=EZ545&variation=&aitem=3&mitem=11) get them. Neat! ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-red-bows-for-cars-given-as-gifts/217015/5 "2003-12-04T21:24:32Z")
Apparently you [can](http://www2.mailordercentral.com/ezlettering/prodinfo.asp?number=EZ545&variation=&aitem=3&mitem=11) get them. Neat! ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-red-bows-for-cars-given-as-gifts/217015/6 "2003-12-04T22:53:42Z")
If someone gives me a car as a gift, I don’t want no stupid sissy bow on my car. If you want something on the car to emphasize that this is a gift, then make it something that says “this is a gift for a _man_.” Like a ham or something. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-red-bows-for-cars-given-as-gifts/217015/7 "2003-12-05T00:25:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by XJETGIRLX \* > \*\*Apparently you [can](http://www2.mailordercentral.com/ezlettering/prodinfo.asp?number=EZ545&variation=&aitem=3&mitem=11) get them. Neat! \*\* Wow, that’s pretty cool that you can— _A HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS?_ Sheesh. If I ever give a car to somebody, they’ll be lucky if I scrape off all of the colored crayon.