Choosing a Car

What colour would you like that in, madam?

(This article appeared in One Lady Owner, a Herald on Sunday supplement, in November 2009.)

When last year I bought a new car I did something most unusual and quite risky: I ordered direct from an importer, buying sight-unseen. I knew that unless I purchased a separate warranty, buying from a dealer was the only way to be absolutely safe when buying a used car. But after a less than satisfactory visit to a car yard (of which more in a moment), knowing an importer I trusted and already having in mind what kind of car I wanted, I decided on importing to order. The importer emailed me details and photos of vehicles available for sale in Japan that fitted my criteria (and pocket), from which I chose the car I wanted. And very happy I am with my little Peugeot 206, too.

So, how did I go about the process, what did I take into account, and what did I ignore completely? Well, I ignored colour. I know there is a belief that we women chose a car for its colour, but to me it’s irrelevant, which accounts for the fact that my second car was a hideous Ministry of Works yellow.