Wheels of fortune

Name: Ian Lancaster, CEO, Twenty Plc
Profile: Founder of Virgin Cars in 2000 – a joint venture with Richard Branson – he established the ‘Virgin’ brand within the retail car sector and created the first online consumer-branded, direct car sales business. It was sold to a trade buyer in 2004.
Current car: Porsche 911 (silver)
Approx price: £65,000
Performance: 0-62mph in 5.2 secs
Max speed: 175mph

‘I bought a Porsche because it’s a quality product. Having worked in the motor industry and become totally bored by cars, I wanted to re-excite the interest that I’d always had. My passion had waned because they’d become items of working stock, but the Porsche 911 was a step ahead of the rest.
People will make assumptions about your success based on the car you drive, but I think it depends on the sort of business you are in. For instance, I was in the marketing services business for the car industry – there it was important.
Your car can say a lot about the business you’re working for or running. It can also say a lot about your lifestyle, too. For instance, I think in the very near term I’m going to have to go for something more roomy – my two small children aren’t so small now and it’s a bit of a squeeze!
These days I spend a lot more time at the wheel, so having a car that is comfortable to drive is important for me as well.’

Name: Jez Frampton, CEO, Interbrand
Profile: Began his career working for D’Arcy and more recently Saatchi & Saatchi. Joined Interbrand as director of brand experience and later became MD of Interbrand Interactive. Became CEO of Interbrand’s London operation in 2003.
Current car: Porsche 993 Targa (silver)
Approx price: £65,000
Performance: 0-62mph in 5.1secs
Max speed: 177mph

‘I’ve always had an interest in cars and I confess I’m a bit of a petrol head!
The first car I bought was a Fiat 500, one of those little bubble cars, but ever since I’ve been old enough to get a bank loan I’ve had a Porsche.
I remember this guy that lived across from my parents’ house – he had a red 1980s Porsche with the whale tail and everything. He’d pick me up in it if he saw me walking home from school and I just fell in love with it. To me, it was like something from the future – the noise it made and the look of it.
I think in a business context, very few people see me in my car, but you still have to be careful. People want to do business with successful people, but if you turn up in a Lamborghini Murcielago you could send out the wrong message – people are going to think, "he’s making a lot of money and it’s probably from me!"
Some cars do have a stereotypical driver, though. I think you could probably get away with an Audi or something like that, but Bentleys have that footballer image and Porsches used to be a bit gauche, a bit ‘80s, though I think they’re OK again now.’

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