Hi Jim

Very interesting input.

I hadnt thought of the statement factor.

Yes, we have that too in Europe, but over here small fuel-efficient
cars can also be a statement :-)

But with the prices, all over europe being high (and having been that
for decades) - manu drive sensible cars.

Yes, I think that there are about 5 Hummers in Copenhagen in total -
and you will have to drive very far to get good use of them :-) And I
saw an Ford Excursion yesterday - boy is it huge.

Yes, they are statement cars - "I am RICH, you're not" :-)

Apropos statements, I have a friend in Texas (land of oil);
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/8938/brad/brad.html
who drives a 386 cc Citroen 2CV.

We went to a Crackerbarrel in it, and in the parkinglot people
gathered - asking "What is that".

Brad opened the hood,showed the tiny 2 cylinder aircooled engine (you
can lift it out one mand in one hand, maybe with a beer in the other
hand for balance), told about the volume of it, and its 18HP, and someone said:
"Oh. My lawnmover got a bigger engine than that".

Brad also drives a few other very nice Citroens - and then has an old
Suburban for backup :-)

But again - I believe that the time of gasoline is goind over in our
time, that we are not seeing an "oil-crisis" that will end like the
ones in the 70'es, that what we are seeing is the beginning of the end of oil.

Remember, long before oilwells run out, large stockpiles will be
reserved for airline industry - the rest of us can move to electric
or biodielsel, but aircrafts needs very pure gasoline........

Jim, it was a good insighht into why americans drive BIG cars - thank you.

Happy DriVWing

Jens Jakob
P.s. Who is a bit kept off driving by the gasoline prices, but even
more by the fact that where I live there are way to few parkinglots,
so if I've been out driving, and come home in the evening, I can use
more than 30 minutes driving around to find a parkinglot - sometimes
it even can take me up to an hour!