Can I drive an El Camino and still be taken seriously?

This is a question I am pondering. The standard symbol of success in the financial business is driving around in a shiny, black, leased Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, or if you're a little edgy, a Porsche or Jaguar. As smooth and satisfying as these are to drive, they seem to me a tad bit run-of-the-mill.

I've always been a fan of old, and unfortunately, big cars. Cadillac El Dorados and Ford Rancheros being two of my favorites. My very first car was a 1977 Chrysler Newport. It was so large that I put up curtains between the front and back seat, so friends could make out undisturbed. And make out you could. The back seat was spacious enough that my friend Briana could lay out flat and fit head to toe, widthways. And to complement its silky red paisley interior, each year, I decorated it for Christmas. Golden drums, pinecones, and angels swirled and jerked at every stop, dangling from various spots on the ceiling.

So, as I contemplate what impending financial security means to me, part of it entails buying a car that I really love. And I'm leaning towards a shiny, candy apple red Ford Ranchero. Yummmm. Yummm. I'm still debating which year I like the best, plus I can't drive a stick shift to save my life, so I've got to locate an automatic. Also, any smart person would steer clear of a gas-guzzling V8 engine as well, which is mainly what I am seeing under the hoods of these beauties. (Picture me saying this wearing some dickies and a wife beater with a smear of axle grease on my cheek.)

So, can a female broker be taken seriously arriving to a client lunch in such a beast? Or is it like wearing a pink tutu to the office? Is your car an extension of your wardrobe when you're on the road meeting clients? I think if I were a designer, it would be viewed as cool irreverence. But, does an investor want an irreverent broker?

I've got a while to figure it out, because a) I'm happy with my bicycle for now, b) I'm not exactly what you'd refer to as high-powered yet, and c) once my blog gets noticed by the right people, I'll be working from home, getting paid to write about my observations on the world and I won't need a car after all.