Despite Lebanon’s economic collapse, the worship of luxury cars persists

Because despite astronomical prices and maintenance fees, brand-new, high-end vehicles have become a status symbol.

In a country ravaged by one of the most severe economic crises since the 19th century, one would expect demand for fancy motors to dwindle. Yet what is meant to be, at its most basic, a means of transportation or even livelihood, has become an object of worship instead.

Unfazed by the blinding, out-of-place lustre of their vehicles, affluent drivers blaze past potholes and dilapidated streets, catching the weary eyes of their compatriots in the glare of their headlights.

These growing, glimmering fleets stand in flagrant contrast to the fatigued streets of Beirut and other Lebanese cities that are still scarred by the country's descent into chaos in recent years.

But if you listen past the expensive roar of the engines, you can hear the dull echoes of a nation at a standstill.

Save for a few neighbourhoods that were destroyed in the Beirut Port blast in 2020, most construction work has halted across the country.

Meanwhile, shop owners force a smile as they struggle to keep their businesses going, and frustrated citizens go about their days with tense shoulders and tired faces, their mounting concerns clear their eyes.

Everywhere you go, exhaustion. Except on the roads, where the engine roar grows.

Financial downfall

In the wake of the economic crash, many middle-class or low-income families and individuals lost their purchasing power and decided to sell their cheap, compact cars to pay for basic necessities.

Those who didn't sell their vehicles mostly elected to keep them parked near their homes, ready for the occasional holiday or emergency.

With gas prices shooting through the roof, many opted to simply walk on foot. Others went for mopeds, which swarmed the streets of the country. (Save for a few calm, young women, most moped drivers swerved left and right at breakneck speed, which made driving on Lebanon's roads even tougher than it already is.)

Read more: In Lebanon, the price of gas 'fuels' isolation and empties streets

For many, the convenience of a car is no longer worth its price.

As a result, most vehicles on the road today are either expensive cars or motorcycles, interspersed with the occasional compact car or SUV.

An unexpected side-effect of the middle-class and low-income groups abandoning their means of transport is that it fuelled the determination of the affluent even further. Now more than ever, they are fervently pursuing vehicles that showcase their wealth.

This misplaced insolence harks back to the famous motto that Hezbollah uses to assert its supremacy: "Never will we be humiliated" ("Hayhat minna al-thilla").

Wars and economic schemes

How do we begin to understand this unwavering passion for luxury that grows and flourishes despite the hostile soil that breeds it?

Firstly, we turn our eyes to the ambiguity of Lebanon's economy. Beginning during the civil war (1975-1990), and continuing to take on new forms in the post-war era, it ultimately collapsed and led to bankruptcy in recent years.

During long periods of war, global car companies and agencies stopped selling cars in instalments or through bank loans in Lebanon, due to the lack of guarantees. Many shut down or ceased operations entirely in the country.

To fill the gap, mafia-like conglomerates of "businessmen" affiliated with war militias that controlled the seaports began importing used cars from abroad by sea into Lebanon. Transactions in cash prevailed.

Fifteen years of war prompted a rise in imported secondhand cars despite a turbulent and bloody backdrop. Since cars were often hit by shelling in the streets, their use was mostly dedicated to fleeing between regions.

In times like these, the Lebanese took a break from showing off, content instead to bask in memories of more "beautiful times".

After the war, however, some became eager to compensate for what they had lost. Yearning for a sense of safety, normalcy and forward momentum, they scrambled to catch up on the latest luxury clothing, housing, furniture, restaurants, nightlife and travel that they'd missed out on for so long.

Cars were no exception; they quickly emerged as a staple of this grand, theatrical brandishing of wealth, along with other expenses that ran the gamut from plastic surgeries to hiring of domestic workers "imported" from East Asia.

The country experienced a collective illusion of financial prosperity.

This is due to the pegging of the currency and subsequent monetary and financial policies introduced under the late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. In reality, the economy was driven by debt, credit, high interest rates, and a growing banking sector.

These policies also served the nepotism of war militia leaders, as state institutions began utilising armies of highly paid employees. Thus emerged a new high-income class marked by excessive greed, exhibitionism and extravagance.

In the meantime, Hezbollah was busy creating its military shadow state with its semi-secret economy, including its ideological policies that countered the logic of the state and its consumerist, exhibitionist society.

Both the public and secret facets of this dysfunctional system remained in place until the revolution of 17 October 2019, which unravelled the fraudulent schemes behind the country's politics and economy.

A meaningless pursuit

Stories abound of Lebanese people who have amassed massive debt in their efforts to lead an ostentatious lifestyle, desiring to belong to the upper echelons of society or aiming to climb the top rungs of political ladders.

In this pursuit, a common belief prevails: that one must flaunt their wealth regularly, whether through material possessions or exaggerated mannerisms.

Luxury cars emerge as a major catalyst in this race for status, propelling individuals towards highly coveted positions – one shiny paint coat at a time.

A sense of misguided pride can be found here, perfectly exemplified by a common Lebanese phrase, which can be heard echoing through street corners and office settings alike: "Do you know who you're talking to?"

Through this one question, we can begin to fathom the deep roots of a common mentality.

Even in the face of widespread desperation and pervasive misery, the quest for opulence grows, a testament to the complex interplay between luxury living, societal perceptions and a longing for social standing.