Cult Cars That Require No Brand Loyalty?

"Berang" (berang) 02/11/2016 at 15:18 • Filed to: brands

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Some cars command a strong following - even if most people couldn’t care less about the company that made them. Other companies on the other hand seem to have even more appeal than any particular car they’ve made.

Ferrari, BMW, Subaru - even Studebaker, are good examples of brands with broad appeal. Pull up to a meet or show with just about any model one of these companies has made, and you’ll find people who will love your car, even if they don’t know much about it.

Then you have a car like the Morris Mini Minor/BMC mini. Mini owners tend not to care too much about the other cars BMC made. The Minor? Cute - but old and too slow. Marina? No thanks. Metro? Boooorrrring. Part of this has to do with most of the cars BMC made being bad or boring cars, and the mini being a good car. But I think the other part of it is, you don’t have to be a “car guy” to get the appeal of the mini. Car guys tend to be the ones who obsess over a brand rather than a particular model. Sure, they have their favorite - but they’ll also know things like what models were built in what factories, during which years. And if they don’t know - they’ll find it interesting when somebody tells them.

Although I own a SAAB 96, and I quite like the 99 too - I’m not a Saab guy. I don’t really know or care much about the brand after the 1980s, and don’t really care that the company is dead. But on the other hand, Saab people definitely exist, and there is a strong brand loyalty of a sort similar to people who like BMWs. Strange thing is, most of those people aren’t really into the 96 in the way most BMW people are into say, the 2002.

I feel like this probably runs closer to the way 2cv people and Citroën people differ. The 2cv is one of those cars that has a certain appeal to non-car people in the way a Mini or beetle does, but also has an appeal to car people, as well as an appeal to brand people. But the overlap is small between groups. The 2cv is both part of the brand - and apart from it.

In any event, what I wanted to ask is what cars do people think have the strongest appeal to people who aren’t brand obsessed?

McMike > Berang 02/11/2016 at 15:26

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I have respect for some brands over others, but my tastes are targeted towards particular models, not the brand itself.

My newest car is 29 years old, so my thought process is probably a little dated.

Wacko > Berang 02/11/2016 at 15:28

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The Miata

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > McMike 02/11/2016 at 15:29

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My newest car is also 29 years old. My average year of manufacture is 1968 because reasons. I know the Mini would drag down your average a bit, but what is it actually?

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Berang 02/11/2016 at 15:32

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I’m going to answer that the performance cars from Toyota are the biggest cult cars that have no brand loyalty. Just look at the celica and supra.

Jonee > Berang 02/11/2016 at 15:32

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Interesting question. I guess Jeep is technically its own brand, but Jeep people don’t seem to care about Kaiser, AMC, or Chrysler cars. Our fellow Subaru 360 enthusiasts traditionally haven’t necessarily been Subaru fanatics. I doubt Scout owners are International Harvester loyalists. What about the Viper? Are those hardcore Mopar guys?

Slant6 > Berang 02/11/2016 at 15:33

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I feel like very few Mustang owners care about the Fiesta or transit.

Berang > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 02/11/2016 at 15:33

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Yeah that’s true, even though Toyota in general has massive brand loyalty.

djmt1 > Berang 02/11/2016 at 15:34

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RenaultSport Cars. A people carrier maker whose cars end up sharing garage space with Zondas.

Wacko > Slant6 02/11/2016 at 15:34

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but they all love the F-150 so....

McMike > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 02/11/2016 at 15:34

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1969 Mini

1970 E-Type

1985 Vanagon

1987 Vanagon

Old photo is old. It was taken in 2007 when I I brought the ‘87 home.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Berang 02/11/2016 at 15:35

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To be fair, most of their brand loyalty is from people who insist that the Camry is the only car they’re going to buy for the rest of their lives.

Wacko > Berang 02/11/2016 at 15:35

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Jeep Wranglers.

no one buys a jeep cause it’s made by Chrysler

Slant6 > Wacko 02/11/2016 at 15:36

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I’m sure that’d be their preferred truck but I think there’s a reason the Mustang has a horse on the front and not a blue oval. Same reason the Corvette doesn’t have a bow tie.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > McMike 02/11/2016 at 15:37

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So, 1978 average DOM, then. Respectable. I’ve only got my four-car average so low because the Lincoln is stupid and keeps mumbling about going on social security in five years.

Wacko > Slant6 02/11/2016 at 15:40

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then why do they all own ford racing jackets??

Berang > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 02/11/2016 at 15:40

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or prius. or corolla. or landcruiser. I think it has to do that you can buy a toyota for every need or whim, there’s no reason to even consider another brand if you want to be set in your ways.

crowmolly > Berang 02/11/2016 at 15:44

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Not a car, but I think it’s worth a mention:

Rose far above its OEM applications and into legendary status. Road race, NASCAR, drag racing, off roading, tractor pulling, whatever. You want one.

MultiplaOrgasms > Berang 02/11/2016 at 15:45

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What exactly do you mean? Are you asking about cars that are popular with everyone even though nobody gives one damn about the entire rest of the company? Or cars that are universally loved and respected regardless of brand affinity?

Wacko > Berang 02/11/2016 at 15:46

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they just lack HD models then

Slant6 > Wacko 02/11/2016 at 15:46

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I’d need to do more research but none of my mustang friends don’t have those. They’re Mustang people, not Ford people.

Berang > MultiplaOrgasms 02/11/2016 at 15:46

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The first one.

McMike > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 02/11/2016 at 15:50

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I have a 2007 motorbike, and Mrs McMike’s 2015 Honda that would probably bring the average up a bit.

Neither of them fit the description of “my cars,” so I don’t usually include them in discussions like this.

Berang > Jonee 02/11/2016 at 15:52

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It’s weird because a lot of mopar guys like jeeps, but jeep is also its own thing too.

Wacko > Slant6 02/11/2016 at 15:53

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I’ll have to tell that to all the baby boomers with mustangs at the next classic car meet in may area.

MultiplaOrgasms > Berang 02/11/2016 at 15:53

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In that case, I nominate the Fiat 500 and 124 Spider. Seriously, nobody gives a flying fuck about any other Fiat, most probably don’t even know any other cars Fiat made. Same goes for all non-rally car Lancias.

Berang > MultiplaOrgasms 02/11/2016 at 15:55

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If they did they’d know the 600 was so much better. 100 better actually.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > McMike 02/11/2016 at 15:57

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It’s a challenge as Young Single Dude to decide whether to include Cars I Can Pretty Much Borrow Without Asking Cause I Know Where The Keys Are or just the four I have. But, if I started listing sibling cars, parent’s cars, in-laws cars, we’d be here all day. Surprisingly, though, the average year would still be quite a while ago.

RallyWrench > Berang 02/11/2016 at 16:08

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Corvettes. Most people can appreciate a nice Corvette, regardless of allegiances. Same goes for Mustangs, because it’s a pretty universal car in America. Everyone knows somebody with a Mustang or has a memory of one, and it has nothing to do with it being a Ford.

I would also submit the Porsche 356, because it has a similar unpretentious appeal to the Beetle, without the snobby rep that often precedes the 911 owner. Finally, the Bugeye Sprite. Nobody doesn’t love a Bugeye, and most know nothing of Austin Healey.

DasWauto > Wacko 02/11/2016 at 16:08

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I think most Miata people are usually fairly fond of Mazda in general.

MultiplaOrgasms > Berang 02/11/2016 at 16:13

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154 actually.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Berang 02/11/2016 at 16:19

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Ford GT

‘60s era Lincoln Continental

various old musclecars

BMW Z8

Porsche 356

Mercedes AMG GT

People might not even know who makes these cars, but if they see one, they know that they want one.

Wacko > DasWauto 02/11/2016 at 16:19

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No not me, most older miata buyers buy them because they are basically modern British roadsters, without British electronics and other British gremlins.

DasWauto > Wacko 02/11/2016 at 16:24

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I forgot about that crowd, good call. I’m mostly going off the couple of Miata owners I know personally. For 2 of 3 it’s not their only Mazda.

Wacko > DasWauto 02/11/2016 at 16:35

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you’re talking about the younger owners.

but in the 90s the miata was the gray haired special.

AfromanGTO > Berang 02/11/2016 at 16:40

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Aussie GM imported car owners. Pontiac GTO, G8, and Chevy SS owners. I guess you could throw in Caprice owners too, but there’s not too many privately owned Caprices yet.

Nobody cared about the Bonneville or Grand Am, and SS owners don’t care about the Cruze. lol

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > MultiplaOrgasms 02/11/2016 at 16:55

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This. I am a big classic FIAT fan. There’s a huge following for the FIAT 126 in certain areas of Europe as well (essentially a “modern”-looking 500 anyway!). I agree that the old 500 and 124 definitely have a cult following.

I’ve loved the classic and modern 500 for awhile now, but saw classic 500s for the first time in person in Sept. 2014 in my hometown - a guy with an eccentric car collection has two, and any classic FIATS are rarer than hen’s teeth in my part of Canada - the classic 500 may be slow, rattly and archaic, but I don’t care and seeing them just made me want one more! :)

Spridget > Berang 02/11/2016 at 17:13

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I’d say the VW Bus, Vanagon, and Beetle. Many of the people who own don’t give a flying flip about a Jetta/Passat/Golf/Dasher/water cooled car. A lot of the owners don’t even care about the Karmann Ghia, Type 3, or Type 4, they just like the image that comes with owning a Bus/Bug or want to own a classic that is cheap to purchase, insure, and maintain..

Another example would be a MG, Triumph, or Land Rover. People love MG’s and Triumph’s, and really can’t tell the two apart, and love the boxy off roader style of the “safari” Land Rover, but don’t really care about the 1100's, Magnette’s, Dolomites, or new Range Rover’s.

Berang > RallyWrench 02/11/2016 at 17:22

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Hmmm. I don’t know if I can imagine a 356 owner who isn’t also a fan of Porsches generally. I also feel like the Corvette is sort of the king of chevys, and it’s something of an aspirational model for chevy fans/owners. Not that that means actual corvette owners necessarily care about the brand.

RallyWrench > Berang 02/11/2016 at 18:51

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I wasn’t so much thinking of owners in either case, but general enthusiasts. Those are cars that people who don’t care for their respective brands can appreciate.

NJAnon > Berang 02/13/2016 at 01:15

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One nomination for the Mustang owners. And to be fair, Ford’s lineup performance wise outside of the Mustang is lackluster so I don’t blame them for not caring about the rest of the brand.

At least Chevrolet has 2 cars: the Camaro and the Corvette to incite brand loyalty.

(Ford GT/40 doesn’t count as it isn’t mass produced. Sorry Skaycog :P)