"I would probably think a Focus is a nice car to drive, but I would never in a million years own one as I would feel like a nobody."
If you think any car makes you a somebody, you're a nobody.....
Your missing the point again, if I had grown up and every other car on the road had not been a Ford I would have a different perception of it.
I grew up looking at Merc as an aspirational brand, and even though I know that it is now no more exclusive, and I know there as many 3 series, A4's and C Classes on the road as Focuses, I can't get that image of Ford being the default choice of cars buyers in the UK out of my head.
I don't feel the same way about other brands, apart from Vauxhall, I would happily own a Skoda as I don't have that perception of them, same with a Citroen or a Nissan, it is just Fords and Vauxhalls.
I am sure that Audi will be the same for many owners in 30 years time, that will be the brand that everyone buys in a few years, it seems to be the go to brand for 20 somethings, and when their kids get older it will probably be the one brand they don't want because of that.
Down our street everyone had a Ford, my Dad had Granadas and my mum a Fiesta, the guy next door had a Cortina, then it was Granada after Granada, the only two houses I can think of that had something different was the Rover 3500 and the guy with the Volvo estate. Don't remember anyone on our street having a Merc or a BMW, they were rare back then.
Someone in our village did have a 5 series, and it was a real novelty because you never saw them.
And that for me is why I would feel like just another Joe Bloggs owning a Ford Focus, I have a tilted perception of them. Ford Kuga I would own and love, and honestly don't know what else they make.
I will have a look.
I was amazed at how loyal the Merc onwers were when I joined here and got blasted for talking about my previous BMWs alot, but I was warned they were nothing compared with Ford owners, and that seems very true.
Edit: Actually looking on their website, the Focus looks OK, it was the Mondeo that I really don't like when I see, it is that thing that reminds me of car journeys in Dad's Granada for 20 hours down to France etc.
Oh, and I forgot I also own a Ford, I have an old Fiesta that my daughter uses.
