Boomers want their dream cars

When Yvonne Cooper was about to retire from the Clark County School District two years ago, she did what many baby boomers do: bought herself her dream car.

For her it was a Chrysler 300, a silver-colored touring car with the sport package that includes leather interior, a sun roof and the ability to go from an automatic to manually shifting gears.

“It was a gift to myself and I love it,” the 69-year-old former teacher at West Prep Academy says. “It gives me a smooth, big car ride and young folks love the fact I have Dr. Dre speakers in it. I didn’t know what they were, but they sound great.”

Analysis done earlier this year by IgnitionOne, which deals in digital marketing strategy, revealed that boomers are the age group most likely to purchase a new vehicle, outpacing Gen Xers and millennials by a large margin.

“You don’t want to put your dreams off too long or they may never come true,” Cooper says, laughing.

According to IgnitionOne, a digital platform that helps shape the way marketers reach their customers, research shows that Boomers “are finally purchasing their dream cars. With an empty nest and greater financial freedom, they desire quality, luxury and safety.”

“I’m so glad I have that rear camera when I’m backing up,” Cooper said. “It’s a wonderful safety feature.”

Frequently in the top 10 dream cars for boomers are the Corvette, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Porsche.

Statistics have consistently shown that more than half of the V8 muscle Corvettes are sold to boomers.

I’d buy a Vette myself — or a Bentley convertible — if I had the bread.

IgnitionOne says marketers should keep in mind that about one-third of all online and social media users are boomers, noting in its analysis that when trying to reach a generation that accounts for about half of all consumer spending, boomers are “just as active on Facebook and Twitter as the average consumer, and even more active on professional sites like LinkedIn.”

According to IgnitionOne, only 10 percent of marketing dollars are being spent on boomers.

That, of course, is insane and once again shows how advertisers and companies can’t break their ageism habits.

Oh well, at least their bigotry hits them where it hurts — in their pocketbooks.

Paul Harasim’s column runs Sunday, Tuesday and Friday in the Nevada section and Monday in the Health section. Contact him at pharasim@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5273. Follow @paulharasim on Twitter.