n. an (extravagant, frivolous, or impractical) automobile purchased as a gift to oneself when financial or personal goals have been achieved. Subjects:
English, Automobiles & Transportation
Citations:
1995 [J.P. Flaharty] Usenet: rec.autos.driving (Mar. 9) “Re: Questions: Merkur XR4TI”: I have made engine refinement a top priority when I buy my post grad-school reward car. 1996 Mark Savage Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisc.) (May 8) “Automakers play ‘can you top this?’ Convertibles still stir competitive juices” p. 1: Our feeling is that Boomers are still in the market for a reward car and there will be a long, stable market for convertibles. 2005 Alex Williams New York Times (June 10) “What Women Want: More Horses”: There is no single category of female “reward car,” as some in the auto industry call such purchases. But analysts see increases in the number of middle-aged women buying all sorts of nonfamily cars.