Cars have been a reflection of the owner’s taste from the very beginning. Rich folks buying chassis with engines sent straight to their favorite coachbuilder.
The market now has many options for whatever personal style or image the owner wants to project. Greenies would buy the Prius, now a Tesla. People buy Corvettes as their retirement car because they lusted for one for decades. They buy big trucks to play cowboy, trucker or mud-runner.
Back in the 50s the veterans would drive MGs or Triumphs or other cars they saw in Europe. College professors would drive Saabs, VWs, Humbers or other oddities. The “keeping up with the Joneses” crowd would buy big new American cars every other year.
Different strokes for different folks