Luxury car owners draw public ire in China
By Maria Siow | Posted: 07 January 2011 0114 hrs
BEIJING : A series of traffic incidents in China, involving children of wealthy and powerful parents, has put the spotlight on owners of expensive luxury cars.
Some have been singled out as prominent symbols of the country's social divide.
In October, a 22-year-old driver killed a female student in Hebei.
When confronted, he told onlookers that his father was a powerful local police officer.
Also that same year, a pedestrian was mowed down by a driver, racing on the streets of Hangzhou.
People were outraged when pictures of the driver laughing with friends shortly after the incident were made public.
In China, the owners and drivers of luxury vehicles are largely seen as irresponsible, show-offs, and even spoilt brats. But some of these drivers are hoping to alter such a negative image.
"Public opinion is against us now and we feel wrongly accused. Real sports car fans are not show-offs and would not race on public highways. We would go to race tracks to experience the real thrill and speed," said Zhang Kuan, co-founder of the Beijing Supercar Club.
To change public opinion, Zhang and other luxury car owners have made it a point to contribute to charity, including making donations to orphanages, elderly care centres, and animal shelters.
They also want to drive home the point that their love for sports cars is like any other hobby.
"If you like something so much, you might use your life savings to acquire it. For example, if you really like a laptop, but you earn only 3,000 yuan a month, that might not stop you from buying a 17,000 or 18,000 yuan laptop. It really depends on how desirable the item is to you," said Li Fu, co-founder of Beijing Supercar Club.
Many car owners blame the Chinese media for its negative portrayal.
"Many of us are self-made entrepreneurs. This is a new phenomenon in China. We've been poor for many generations with little wealth given to us by our parents. During such a unique period, many people tend to look at us with tinted glasses," said Li.
"I think this hatred for the wealthy will only disappear when we have at least the second or third generation of affluent people in China," said Xia Sasha, a Porsche owner.
The luxury cars can cost anything from US$210,000 to US$4.5 million. So, there's no doubt that these vehicles are beyond the reach of most ordinary Chinese.
Given the country's uneven distribution of wealth, sociologists said a lot more needs to be done to overcome public resentment for the wealthy, and the well-connected.
- CNA /ls
