Scrolling through used car sales in Japan, like I do, I came across this interesting “feature” on this EK9 Type R, it’s female owned.

Wheater we recognize them or not, there are a lot of gender stereotypes and biases out there in the car community, worldwide. And it looks like if you’re selling an enthusiast’s car in Japan, it would behoove you to list that it’s female owned. As per CarSensor.Net on their 2000 Honda Civic Type R listing I came across earlier today (Sept. 17,2018) this owner decided to let prospective shoppers know that her Honda Civic Type R was owned by her, a female. I’m guessing this is tapping into that stereotype that women are somehow less aggressive drivers and this Honda Civic Type R is a tad better off in the hands of a female instead of a male.

female owned CTR
This used JDM Honda Civic Type R boasts that it’s female owned but is that necessarily good?

The sterotype is that female drivers are less agressive and overall more defensive and docile on the road then males. Behind every stereotype there is a bit of truth to it. Consider your own interactions with people on the road today. I reckon a good number of your negative interactions with road ragers were from men. As a man, if I haven’t started the road rage myself, most other instances of road rage have been with other men. That usually translates into using my car as a weapon of aggression, engine be damned. You bet my RPM gauge pegs the upper 20 percentile of its limits as I keep up with the target of my aggression. It’s unhealthy, I’m getting over it, and my typical “male aggression shines through.” Probably doesn’t bode well for my engine.

Consider a poll by Harris Interactive in a random sample of 4,000 motorists asked anonymously. While 56 percent of males reported road rage, 61 percent of females also admitted to road rage. As per Harris,

According to some experts, this gender divide isn’t a random occurrence. Rather, it likely stems from women’s possible subconscious need to break free of society’s expectations (well … of course).

So, it’s not always so cut and dry.

And as this story by USA Today points out, as cars become more complicated, the difference in the amount of information that males and females know about their own cars grows to skew in favor of males.

This insurance company in the Mid-west polled males and females and concluded that men are more likely to stay on top of their preventative maintenance than men. 

All things being equal, females road rage just as much as men, if not more and most likely don’t know much about their own cars as their male counterparts.

It’s important to note that this used car ad, as mentioned, is in Japan, a country where women empowerment to thrive in male-dominated arenas is the country’s greatest potential source of creativity and enlightenment.

There are, however, exceptions, which are celebrated.

Putting “female owned” in ads shouldn’t even be a thing. It’s damaging to both genders to assume one way or another and is an outdated sales trick that shouldn’t be used.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here