Talk of a drop in petrol prices was greeted with a murmur of approval from all visitors to the opening of Motorshow Ireland yesterday.
All visitors, that is, but those hanging around the gas-guzzling Hummer stand with cheque books in hand.
As salesman Charles Partos explained: "People who buy these are not really that price-conscious."
At 12-17 miles per gallon, the Hummer - the tank-like brainchild of Arnold Schwarzenegger - is between two and three times less fuel-efficient than your typical family saloon. The price tag is €85,000-€95,000, but if you have to ask it is almost certainly out of your league.
"It's probably the ultimate status symbol," said Mr Partos, who is exhibiting the outsized vehicles for the first time in Dublin because of "considerable" advance interest from Irish buyers.
"There are a lot of cars you could spend €100,000 on only to see other people driving them when you are dropping your kids to school. That's not going to happen with the Hummer. It's about being seen. It's about being different. It's about 'bling'."
His sales pitch certainly seemed to be working yesterday. Within two hours of the show opening, he had already got what he believed was at least one definite sale - to "a gentleman who came by and really liked what he saw".
Hummer-fans, however, were not the only ones indulging in a bit of environment-bashing. Outside the main RDS hall, a fleet of SUVs were being put through their paces in a green-field paddock that was quickly reduced to a mushy swamp.
Tellingly, it was Minister for Transport Martin Cullen and not his Environment counterpart, Dick Roche, who had offered a foreword to the Motorshow brochure.
Among yesterday's highlights was the unveiling of the new Team Ireland racing car, which will challenge for honours in the forthcoming A1 Grand Prix series. A rival contest to Formula 1, the series is sponsored by Dubai's Sheikh Maktoum, who will test drive the Irish car at Mondello Park tomorrow.
Motorshow Ireland continues in the RDS, Dublin, today and tomorrow.
