# Car Owners Fake Luxury By Angela Lowe | Published 2006-11-14 | Autos Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/car-owners-fake-luxury References: [gushmagazine](http://www.gushmagazine.com/article/fake-car-luxury/) & [usatoday](http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2006-11-12-fake-luxury-usat_x.htm) Instead of actually paying for [high performance vehicles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/modified-luxury-vehicle), some people are faking it. They are going to dealers and [eBay](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ebay-luxury-exchange) to buy emblems to embellish their cars' value. Not only do they increase the value of their version, but sometimes even try to disguise their vehicle as another brand. eBay claims to sell 15 000 [car emblems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mulliner) a month and although automakers acknowledge the practice, they are not putting a stop to it. Most people can not be this easily tricked as exhaust pipes and wheels do give these hopeful car owners away. (GUSH Magazine) ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.0/10 - Popularity: 37% | Activity: 46% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 90% men, 10% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Autos](https://www.trendhunter.com/autos) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Fake Luxury Emblems:** There is an opportunity for automakers to create their own official car emblem resale marketplaces that offer consumers a legitimate way to upgrade their car's value - **Rise of Budget Luxury:** Businesses can capitalize on this trend by offering high quality, budget-friendly products with luxury branding like designer clothing or affordable luxury vehicles - **Authenticity Marketing:** Companies can tap into this trend by creating brand messaging around authenticity and integrity, highlighting the value of genuine luxury products and experiences ### Who This Affects Most - **Automotive:** Automakers can take advantage of this trend by creating new product lines that cater to budget-conscious consumers who still want the look and feel of luxury vehicles - **Fashion:** Luxury fashion brands can leverage the popularity of this trend by creating affordable designer lines that make premium design accessible to budget-conscious consumers - **Online Retail:** Online marketplaces can create innovative authentication processes that ensure the products being sold are legitimate and provide more stringent protections for buyers against counterfeit goods ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Special-Edition Collab Luxury Cars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spirit-of-ecstussy.md) - [Surreal Car Care Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/you-are-how-you-car.md) - [Car Feature Addition Subscriptions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/acceleration-increase.md) - [Online Car Retailer Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clutch-ad.md) - [Updated Automaker Emblems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aston-martin-emblem.md) - [Automotive Brand Decor Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rollsroyce-cameo.md) - [Anti-Theft Car Immobilizers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/antitheft1.md) - [Fashion Collaborative Toy Cars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mschfs-hot-wheels.md) - [Reimagined Iconic SUVs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/reimagined-iconic-suv.md)