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You can't have brand rivalry without brand loyalty.
There's a certain rivalry (or mutual contempt) between European car drivers and Japanese car drivers - I have spent time on an automotive board where Hondas are commonly called "Honduh" etc. I just don't see it, because Honda makes excellent cars. I mean, you can quibble over the minor points but basically that's the truth. It would make more sense for a bunch of BMW drivers to bash on Kia Rio drivers or for Acura NSX enthusiasts to talk shit about Cavalier owners, but then that's kind of like hating someone for only having one leg. As for the Ford/Chevy thing, I grew up in a Chevy but then spent plenty of time in Fords - they honestly seem pretty comparable to me. But then again I don't have any use for American cars built after the mid-60s or so.
I don't know, it must be some sort of competitive thing like sports, which also leaves me just kind of scratching my head in puzzlement. Maybe it comes from insecurity, the need to put someone else down to make yourself feel better, or maybe it's just evidence of the way our society fails to provide meaningful context for our lives. A brand name as a personal identifier is pretty scary, after all. You can bet those big manufacturers don't have a picture of you on their car.
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