Chinese Supercar Wedding, Range Rover Edition

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

It used to be an ancient custom in China that there is a dowry when people get married. Not good enough anymore. Now you have to bring a supercar. Did I say a supercar? There must be bunches of them!

One of the most avid chroniclers of Chinese supercar weddings is my buddy Tycho over at CarNewsChina.com. He is now at Supercar Wedding in China IV. This time, it’s just a few Rolls Royce Ghosts, followed by a herd of what Tycho assesses as “50 Range Rovers.” I take his word for it, his day job has something to do with analyzing imagery.

Now if you want to marry a Chinese sweetheart, ignore the advice to present “betrothal gifts of money and significant items such as tea, dragon (male) and phoenix (female), bridal cakes, pairs of male and female poultry, sweetmeats and sugar, wine and tobacco, accompanied by an itemized statement of these gifts.” Instead, bring lots of expensive cars. And a video crew.


Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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 4 comments
  • Redliner Redliner on Aug 17, 2011

    Wretched, showy, pointless excess. I would much prefer my special day center around, oh i don't know, getting married. The sad thing is that getting married in china today usually means getting in debt. There is incredible social pressure to have extravagant, grandiose wedding ceremonies, never-mind the cost.

  • Sinistermisterman Sinistermisterman on Aug 17, 2011

    I wonder how many of those Range Rovers actually made it to the wedding...

  • Tekdemon Tekdemon on Aug 17, 2011

    Am I the only one who hates both these cars? Was the married couple a bunch of crazy psuedo-anglophiles or something? Who like formerly British marques now owned by German and/or Indian manufacturers? Someone should do a hoontastic version with beat up old Land Cruisers and old M5's. Seriously though, this is plain tasteless, if you're gonna waste money at least be a little unique.

  • Robert Schwartz Robert Schwartz on Aug 17, 2011

    Is the customary dowry paid by the groom to the brides family? By the bride's family to the grooms family (like India)? Or some other combination?

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