What do hippies drive in other countries?

[Parnelli Bone]

I'm doing a bit of research and was just wondering what hippies, anarchists, and other counter-cultural types drive in Europe, Asia, and down under? Try to limit your answers to cars which appear in GT4.

In America, it's always the Volkswagen Beetle. Older Beetles more often than newer ones, assuming somebody can actually get their hands on an older one. Golfs, too, sometimes, although not the later-model ones. Subaru Legacy and Impreza wagons, and Volvos are also popular. I forget if the Impreza wagon is in GT4, actually. I can't tell you how many of my real-life friends want a 240 wagon or sedan, just like the slug in our game!

These sort of peoples (hippies, punks, anarchists, etc) usually don't have a lot of money, but I've noticed that even if they do, even if they sell unlegal substances and manage to get a lot of cash, they sometimes still opt for these particular vehicles. And like I said, I'm just wondering if it's the same way in other countries.

 

[E38]

In New Zealand they seem to migrate towards beat to death old ('83-'90) Toyota Corolla Estates in Diesel. Normally belching black smoke and wearing their "Proud to be GE Free" or "Nuclear Free NZ" bumper stickers. Not much hope landing one of those in GT4 though. Thankfully.

 

[PF]

Excellent idea for a thread yet again Parnelli.

In Oz it's largely the same with the exception of the Subarus. Kombis and other vans are popular as they can also be used as a house. If they're ferals or hardcore protesters they'll use a four wheel drive (SUV) but never one of the newer ones that cost 50 grand and aren't made to travel over anything larger than a speed bump. Something like an old range rover/landcruiser with high clearance and good enough 4wd to be used on really rough roads or off-road.

It's totally different for the city types. Punks and anarchists will just buy anything they can for about $500 with six months' registration (if they bother with rego). Generally smaller cars so they can find a park in their crowded inner city suburb, so 80s or 90s model FWD Japanese cars.

Probably the majority do what I did until the age of 33; just walk/ride/use public transport/hitch hike. Heaps better.

 

[Lucas]

The only hippie car I've ever seen here was a Kombi. And it was a real hippie car, complete with green paint, flowers, and a Ying Yang where the VW logo should be.

 

[DK]

Mostly the Prius here in Ireland for those who get high on their own sense of self-satisfaction.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Ha ha, cool, thanks for the replies, folks! What's a Kombi? I've never heard of that. Guess I should Google it.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Kombi = early VW van.

In other words, the first thing most people think of when hippy cars come up.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Kombi = early VW van.

In other words, the first thing most people think of when hippy cars come up.

Ah, gotcha. I just got back from California and there's still lots of older VW buses out there. On the east coast they're rather rare though, mostly because of rust.

 

[fbccars924]

^in the midwest here they seem to like retired cop cars or similar models to cop cars.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

^in the midwest here they seem to like retired cop cars or similar models to cop cars.

No kidding! Where I live all the homies like those. Caprices, Crown Vics, etc.

 

[PF]

^in the midwest here they seem to like retired cop cars or similar models to cop cars.

I've never met a real hippie who'd set foot in an ex-cop car, even as passenger. Much less a punk or anarchist. Even the crims in Oz find better cars, only the bogans go for ex-cop Commodores/Falcons.

@Parnelli: I don't believe I forgot to mention the Rockabilly kids when talking about punk cars. Here are some pretty sub-par examples drawn from Google:

These ones are pretty poor examples compared to the IRL ones my mates used to drive. Think small body 50s or 60s car, immaculately painted (pref with flames) and with the bonnet stripped so you can see the modded, perfectly polished engine.

Interestingly, the Rockabilly kids are the only ones I can think of falling under the broad 'punk' umbrella to accept conspicuous consumerism in this way. Just as remarkable is the fact the rest of us let them get away with it.

 

[fbccars924]

Ignore.

 

[fbccars924]

No kidding! Where I live all the homies like those. Caprices, Crown Vics, etc.

Out here they wanna be homies but, they're usually whiter than a sheet of paper. But, I dont blame them for liking the Vic, Its big fast and very stylish. Same for the Caprice if you can find one that isnt roached.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Interestingly, the Rockabilly kids are the only ones I can think of falling under the broad 'punk' umbrella to accept conspicuous consumerism in this way. Just as remarkable is the fact the rest of us let them get away with it.

West coast: the rockabilly types usually have older cars, of which there are still tons around. Mercury Comets, Ford Falcolns, Studebakers, Dodge Darts, etc. All the old American cars that aren't necessarily "muscle" cars, since muscle cars are usually commanding a higher price these days. There aren't any cars in GT4 I can think of that fall into this category.

East coast: rockabilly punks are few and far between for some reason on the east coast! You might see them in the biggest cities like New York, but it's not a popular a clique as on the west coast. I haven't really noticed a "type" of car these folks drive. I have a friend who isn't really a punk or rockabilly, he's more of an aging hipster. Lol. And he's got a big, old El Camino. That's the closest I can think of to this type.

 

[Shoogar]

Interesting you bring this up.. On the corner of my street there is a Kombi van in Orange. It has a huge peace symbol spray painted on it (Very un-professionally) and it has Christmas lights all through it, which don't work..

Hippie or what?

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Interesting you bring this up.. On the corner of my street there is a Kombi van in Orange. It has a huge peace symbol spray painted on it (Very un-professionally) and it has Christmas lights all through it, which don't work..

Hippie or what?

Sounds like it! 👍

I thought of another hippy car by the way: Scion! Either the xA or the xB, not so much the tC, which is more of a yuppy princess-mobile. Granted, it's not just hippies that buy them, but I think since they're cheap and good on gas, they are tending to get snatched up by this crowd. Older Priuses also sometimes...newer ones are too expensive.

But I've been noticing more and more Scions where I live with the peace signs on them, bumper stickers like: "my other car is a bicycle", "Ralph Nader for president", "Phish Phood", "vizualize whirld peas"...etc.

 

[fbccars924]

^ you forgot about the iNsights

 

[DKLion3s]

^... Honda Element is another ... you guys 'n gals are a riot in this thread. lol

 

[PF]

My mate (who you'd consider the 'activist' side of hippie) had a early-90s model subaru FWD. We'd sometimes take 4 people on the hour long drive back from work in a 2-seater hatchback, so up to 2 would have to fit in the boot. This wouldn't have been as bad if we weren't working as tree loppers, so there were always 4 chainsaws in the back. If there was someone/s int he back he'd fang it (as much as you can in an overladen subie hatch) to try to make the chainsaws bounce around. Ouch.

The cassette player (remember those?) stuffed up on a long drive once. Not surprising, considering it was hanging by its wires out of the dashboard. He told me 'yeah but it was cool, if you pointed it to the front of the car and keep hitting it with a beer bottle you could sorta hear the bass'.

His girlfriend then gave him another car, but she had never changed the oil. About 300km into the journey home the engine started making some odd noises. So he turned up the stereo. Obviously, the engine melted about 100km later and we had to buy another car.

That's how we roll in Australia.

 

[niky]

Hippies, in the cultural sense of the word... used to ride around in Kombi vans here... now they're rare as hen's teeth, and if you see one, it's owned by an enthusiast or an artist, or both.

Activists, in the white shirt / bloody riot sense of the word, use jeeps.

 

[Dotini]

Subarus, Volkswagens and of course Volvos predominate in Seattle amongst the community referred to. Distant mention to the Datsun 510.

 

[SaberFire]

Mostly the Prius here in Ireland for those who get high on their own sense of self-satisfaction.

Heh, we go one step further in London. G-Wiz's. EVERYWHERE.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

^... Honda Element is another ... you guys 'n gals are a riot in this thread. lol

Oh yes, how could I forget the Element! Yea, this girl I used to date (kinda hippyish I guess) is an avid Element fan, she even joined a Honda Element club. She's got the yucky orange one, too!

Insights and newer Priuses...these aren't driven by younger activist or cosemtic-type hippies where I live so much (by cosmetic, I mean, they've got the look, but not necessarily the discipline or consciousness. These are the types who involve themselves with unlawful behavior on occasion, have a wall full of Dead, Rusted Root, and Phish, and are generally lazier than anarchist hippies). The Insight and Prius tend to be snatched up by folks who were perhaps at one time hippies, but are now older, with real jobs and responsibilities. When they have kids, all a sudden they no longer had time to involve themselves with all this otehr stuff. They are middle-aged now.

They are the Baby Boomers! Or the generation right after baby boomers. They used to attend protests, join non-profits, create awfully bad off-Broadway plays, but now they've given up on their youthful ideals. When their mid-life crisis hits, a hybrid car is a wonderful way to try to embrace these ideals again. A Prius or an Insight, a healthier diet, etc.

My mate (who you'd consider the 'activist' side of hippie) had a early-90s model subaru FWD. We'd sometimes take 4 people on the hour long drive back from work in a 2-seater hatchback, so up to 2 would have to fit in the boot. This wouldn't have been as bad if we weren't working as tree loppers, so there were always 4 chainsaws in the back. If there was someone/s int he back he'd fang it (as much as you can in an overladen subie hatch) to try to make the chainsaws bounce around. Ouch.

The cassette player (remember those?) stuffed up on a long drive once. Not surprising, considering it was hanging by its wires out of the dashboard. He told me 'yeah but it was cool, if you pointed it to the front of the car and keep hitting it with a beer bottle you could sorta hear the bass'.

His girlfriend then gave him another car, but she had never changed the oil. About 300km into the journey home the engine started making some odd noises. So he turned up the stereo. Obviously, the engine melted about 100km later and we had to buy another car.

That's how we roll in Australia.

I gotta make it down under at some point in my life.

 

[Shoogar]

The only thing close to what PF has done that i've done is sitting in the boot and falling asleep, to be woken up by being hit by a suitcase when my mum's friend slamed on the breaks.

Oh Australia, how I love you.

 

[PF]

I gotta make it down under at some point in my life.

The only thing close to what PF has done

Oh god, these are only the car-related stories that I'm willing to post without facing a perma-ban. I'll re-read the AUP and see what I'm allowed to say and might come back with another story or two. Like the old Datto we bought for $250 off a stranger and then ... ok, will check the rules before continuing.

EDIT:

You will not use these forums to violate any laws nor to discuss illegal activities.

This rule (my emphasis) suggests to me that I should not offer any more stories.

 

[mafia_boy]

Hippies are different to criminals. In most areas, you find that the hippies will stick to the econoboxes in the cities (for fear of using more than 2 liters of petrol in their journey, therefore ruining the environment), but you won't just find them in VW Kombi's either if you're going the bus route. Many different vans (Toyota Hi-Ace & Tarago, Mistubishi Express, Ford Econovan, Mazda E1600) are just fitted with enough amenities (stove, sink, mattress) so they can pack 10 people into that van (7 of them are laying on the mattress during the whole journey) and take off to protest at a logging site or wherever they want to piss & moan about anything.

And Parnelli, you BETTER make a trip down under.......just so I could take you on head to head in a race on GT4.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Hippies are different to criminals. In most areas, you find that the hippies will stick to the econoboxes in the cities (for fear of using more than 2 liters of petrol in their journey, therefore ruining the environment), but you won't just find them in VW Kombi's either if you're going the bus route. Many different vans (Toyota Hi-Ace & Tarago, Mistubishi Express, Ford Econovan, Mazda E1600) are just fitted with enough amenities (stove, sink, mattress) so they can pack 10 people into that van (7 of them are laying on the mattress during the whole journey) and take off to protest at a logging site or wherever they want to piss & moan about anything.

Oooh, yes! Mitsubishi Airtrek. Hippy vehicle or no?

And Parnelli, you BETTER make a trip down under.......just so I could take you on head to head in a race on GT4.

Yea that rock!

Oh god, these are only the car-related stories that I'm willing to post without facing a perma-ban. I'll re-read the AUP and see what I'm allowed to say and might come back with another story or two. Like the old Datto we bought for $250 off a stranger and then ... ok, will check the rules before continuing.

EDIT:

This rule (my emphasis) suggests to me that I should not offer any more stories.

Dude you're making me paranoid!

 

[mafia_boy]

Oooh, yes! Mitsubishi Airtrek. Hippy vehicle or no?

No. More soccer mum than hippie, and over here we have some people who have imported the Airtrek-R. Over here the Aussie DM model is normally called the Mitsubishi Outlander but they are only powered by the N/A motor (I think it's from the 2.4L 4G64, don't quote me on that one though!).

Yea that rock!

I could just imagine you, I and PF together......let's just say some shenanigans would occur between us old folk, for more than one reason aswell.

PS. Get a PS3 & GT5 STAT!