I've seen both that and vice versa

200% in america, half the people you walk by are talking about cars

i felt that in america merely *having* a car wasn't seen as a status symbol

anyone could buy a car

but having two or more cars and a nice suburban home was the "dream"

the brand wasn't necessarily indicative of wealth, people with money would happily drive a toyota because it just worked

and it was totally possible to get a used BMW for cheap

though it'd be putting on the years

unlike the rest of the world, having a car in america is often a matter of survival, since it's so big and public transportation often very lacking outside of the biggest metropolitan areas

the folk with money or the ability to refurbish cars would have a beater car for daily driving, from what i saw usually a honda/toyota/asian brand, and then they'd have a nicer car that they'd baby and take out less often

compare to here, where just being able to afford *one* car as well as a space to park it in

on top of luxury brands being even more expensive due to heavy taxes

@red thanks for the explanation. I noticed one thing by the way: some car owners, put a blue D with the EU sign behind the license plate in Taiwan. Mostly on German cars, is it some kind of show off that they have a German car or does it have another meaning?

I'll have to ask about that.

Like that, you know what I mean? Did you see them, too?

I've heard that license plates that start with an R are supposedly registered under a company

and are usually there to dodge the taxes associated with importing a luxury car

I haven't independently verified that though

But did you notice people putting those Ds behind the plate? I have seen a lot especially in the larger cities Taipei / Kaohsiung

And, unfortunately, no, I have not noticed.

That'll be something to ask a co-worker.

the first time I saw that, it was on a BMW M5. Seeing it from far away I thought "WTF did some German tourist container his car to Taiwan for the holiday?" but on closer look it was just a Taiwanese plate with that

I have a feeling that your guess might be correct

From a Taiwanese perspective, that would feel pretty cool

kek I can give you my old German plate next time I come, it's the coolest plate of Germany and I even had to pay to get it

WT - F - 1337

Ahahaha

That's a unique plate if I've ever seen one

Can you get custom plates in Taiwan?

Can't say I know, but I don't think I've seen one.

I googled your question

according to a taiwanese forum, it seems like it's just for looks

I Googled for hours and didn't find anything

https://forum.u-car.com.tw/thread/49063

nice to know

thank you

I like how this is allowed

altering your car plate is illegal in Europe

I dunno if it's allowed. You can't vandalize your plate or render it unreadable, but something like this is just, like

well, it doesn't seem to hinder identification