Theres a treacly set of commericals where parents con their kids into asking for the brand new model of car … the first commercial pissed me off but the second one was cuter (the kid caught the parents trying to forge his note to santa and shakes them down for a new puppy)
But this got me thinking Has anyone ever gotten or know anyone who has a new car as a gift for anything??
I know the stereotype is you got a car for graduating hs or college but it was usually mom or dads old car or usually a used one …
Althoght in my immediate family ive only had one or two people buy a brand new car ever …
Yes, I got a brand new car as a gift. Not for Christmas though. My dad died suddenly and my mum decided to buy me a car with some money he left her. This was partly because she knew without a car, I’d hardly ever be able to visit her. It was a real surprise as I didn’t know until we were actually in the dealership. The most expensive gift I’ve ever got.
An old friend of mine got a brand new Mini Cooper as a gift from her boyfriend of less than 2 years. She started thinking what a great husband he would make, until a few months later, she found out he was already married with children!
Some of my college classmates were from very high socioeconomic classes; anybody who had a car had gotten it as a present after/around/for finishing high school and turning 18 (that being the car-driving age). Several of them happened to be new, but I’m talking about people whose families’ products are known to most of the people on these boards. When both Dad and Mom have chauffeurs for their BMWs and Mercedeses (the higher-end cars they drive themselves), the kid getting a Seat Ibiza is almost pocket money.
At lower ages, several of my classmates got motorcycles; again, some of them even got new ones (socioeconomic levels between “working class owning their own business” and “middle upper class but making less money than most people think”). One of them still drives the hand-me-down Vespino he inherited from his grandpa… 34 years ago; his eldest daughter has been known to eye it hopefully (I think she can start to drive it in two more years).
I had friends who got, for their 16th birthdays, a red Thunderbird convertible, a red Mustang (not a convertible though, boo), and a yellow Oldsmobile Cutlass convertible. But most of us were lucky to get our mothers’ old cars.
It is still good to have friends with convertibles.
A real estate agent who had a great year gave one to his 80 year old mother, complete with big bow on top, because “getting a new new car is on her bucket list.”
While my husband was terminal and all our money was going to his medical care, my family bought us a used car so that we had reliable transportation to depend on. This was two years ago and it’s a 2007 Toyota, so the nicest vehicle I’ve ever owned. They even had the dealership put the big red bow on it, which was fun.
My father once bought a new car (Toyota Camry) at Christmas, but that was because the previous car died just before Christmas. But no, no one I know has surprised someone with a new car.
Note that you can’t just return a new car that you’ve bought if the recipient doesn’t like the color or the model. So it’s not a great thing to do if they are picky. Instead, I’d borrow the car from the dealer for the Christmas morning presentation and then settle up after the holiday. (When my father bought that new Camry, the dealer let him take it just before Christmas and pay for it just after. My father needed a couple of days to withdraw the purchase price from his retirement account.)
As I’m eligible for a second company car that I don’t currently utilize, my plan is to lease it for my kid if I’m still working. It’s complicated by the fact that I may well be retired before this hypothetical kid is of driving age.
On the other hand, I may be lucky enough to buy him/her a car outright. We’ll have to see.
Being one of those weird, “older fathers” will hopefully be compensated for by being one of those fathers that are no longer struggling!
That rotary engine! If only there were more than a few mechanics who could work on them. First car that I bought on my own-it was a well loved 86. I knew more about the engine than most shops I brought it to. Ahhhh. I miss that car.
But I’m rebuilding the engine of the Nissan I bought for the wife this summer, and I’ll call that her Christmas present. I better get going. Got the block back from the machine shop this afternoon.
Dad did similar for my Mom once. But it wasn’t a surprise at all. They ordered it together with her picking all the options and such. Delivery happened to come in late Dec, so it got the red bow treatment.
Lots of kids at my high school got new or nearly new card for their 16th = driving age birthday. I got our then 9 year old spare car.