Well put Bill Mack!
BTW - your car was either an Oldsmobile 442 or a Buick 225...
Being in my early 50's (53 to be precise) I grew up in the hay-days of Muscle cars and cheap gas. I still own muscle cars but more for their investment potential than to burn rubber away from the stoplight.
Did I buy a gimick? No.
What I did do is make an investment in technology.
That investment will cause profit in the automaker's vault.
That profit will drive continued research and development of hybrid / alternative fuel technologies.
The resultant technology will be offered to me - my children - my grand-children (none yet thanks) and so on...
So the key driver in the purchase of this vehicle was not Ecology - it wasn't Economy or even Financially motivated.
The key driver was doing what I believe is the right thing - Investing in the future of the world..