I think it’s fair to say that men generally care more about the kind of car they drive than women.

That’s not to say that we all want to drive around in clapped-out old bangers, and I for one long for the time when I can legitimately buy a two-seater sports car rather than something ‘practical and roomy’.

The fantasy of the sheer joy of driving a sexy car that doesn’t smell of rugby kit and Labrador keeps me going through my dark motoring moments.

Most of the men in my life have endless conversations about the kind of car they own/would like to own/lust after/despise and the reasons why.

Men seem to be more defined by their car, but who is really to blame for their insecurities and need to be compared to whatever is throbbing away under their bonnet? Sadly, I think it might be woman.

As I mentioned in a previous column, I don’t really mind what a date drives as long as it’s not stolen, filthy or falling apart. I assumed that most women couldn’t care less either.

So imagine my surprise when a male friend of mine turned up to take a date out in a car that apparently failed to meet the minimum standards. Not only did she look down her nose at the offending 15-year-old Ford Fiesta, but then went on to explain WHY she wouldn’t be seen dead in such a thing.

It saddens me that women who pretend to be so nonchalant about material things seem to care so much about the car that picks them up.

In an age when we should be embracing people who come into our lives and want to genuinely spend time with us, should we really care about how we get there?

Dating tick lists have a lot to answer for and while we all want someone who is kind and funny, honest and loyal, I think it’s time we accepted that anyone you meet in your 40s is likely to have a bit of baggage (in some cases an entire airport carousel) and so what if they don’t carry it all round with them in a Porsche?

I have a good friend who’s had a very eclectic selection of cars over the years from beautiful Porsches and Mercedes to almost vintage cars. His self-confidence has no bounds and therefore if a date even dared to question his choice of wheels he would probably leave them standing on the pavement.

Unfortunately not all men are as blessed, and while picky women continue to consider a sports car to be an essential part of any dating package, men will continue to feel under pressure to conform.

It’s all a bit shallow if you ask me and it’s about time that women stopped being so ridiculous, rejecting the potential love of their life based on the fact that they don’t drive the ‘perfect car’...whatever that may be.

I mean, grow up...