Now, obviously a lot of women like sturdy SUVs and speedy convertibles too. But as foreign competitors continue to gain market share with practical best sellers like the Toyota Camry, I wondered why the Big 3 didn't make any effort to appeal to women buyers. Or, for that matter, anyone for whom  a  car is a way to get from point A to point B, not to make an exhibition of their ego. 

In fact, of course, they do. They just don't talk about it. The compact Ford Focus is the best-selling car in the world, following up on the success of its larger cousin, the Taurus, but Ford was too busy touting its new luxury Thunderbirds to talk about such mundane models. 

Ford insists that the Thunderbird will appeal equally to men and women - though they expect more men to buy them - yet modern women may view the stay-at-home 1950s with a little less nostalgia than their male peers. 

The Japanese, as they invade the lucrative light-truck and SUV market, are catching up to this game. In an interview with the trade magazine Automotive News, a Toyota executive explained that the company's futuristic new Matrix car is expected to appeal to young, active men, presumably because you can put a pair of mountain bikes in the back. Funny, I could've sworn I've seen a woman or two hurtling downhill on mountain bikes in America, but maybe Toyota had trouble seeing under the helmet. 

Honda took it one step further, proudly announcing that it had spent three years designing its new Model X just for college-age, sports-loving dudes. 

"It's a dorm room on wheels, complete with a place to hide their dirty socks," Honda said, as though American co-eds do their laundry on a daily basis. Interestingly, Honda has a slightly more accommodating message on its website. On its Model X promotional page for the public, the car is described as ideal for young, active "persons."

On its corporate news page, read by investors and journalists, it's still a man's dream machine. I thought the Model X was pretty ugly myself, but I'm tempted to check one out anyway at my local dealer just to see if the company is really following through on its commitment to guys.

"Excuse me, lady, that one's really more of a man's model," the salesman will say apologetically, as though I'd strayed into the menswear department at Macy's. "But we've got a cute little Civic over here if you're interested "

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