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After a certain ceiling has been reached (i.e. around $ 10,000), an increase in average income in any one country will not lead to increased personal happiness. Such additional earnings are, in all probability, expended rather on satisfying relative needs. Cars with a low fuel efficiency (big cars; cars with powerful engines) possibly satisfy more relative needs than absolute needs. This is why a general trend towards more economical vehicles does not or hardly leads to a reduction in contentment: relative needs satisfaction, coupled with the status aspect, does not need to suffer from this. It is the satisfying of relative needs and the emergence of status effects in consumption that is responsible for inefficient market functioning because of the occurrence of 'consumption externalities'. There is therefore a welfare economic argument for adhering to a regulatory policy in which the consumption of relatively low status goods is encouraged while the consumption of relatively high status goods is discouraged. In view of the sharp price increases required to make the national car volume substantially more economical and in order to survive the considerable resistance that will be put up to such price rises, it might be preferable to introduce policies like 'fee-bates' or negotiable rights rather than to wield price policies directed at effecting a trend in the direction of more economical car usage.

Tot ons genoegen kregen wij Professor Polak's reactie op ons in dit tijdschrift verschenen artikel over 'Autobezit, autogebruik en status' onder ogen. En dit 'genoegen' is oprecht gemeend: beiden vinden wij het debat in de wetenschap uitermate belangrijk (en veel te vaak afwezig), en beiden zijn we verheugd kritisch gelezen te worden. Dit betekent uiteraard niet dat wij voetstoots akkoord gaan met Polak's commentaar. Integendeel. In dit repliek zetten wij uiteen waarom.