The survey, run by researchers at the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff, claims it shows women rate a man higher if he is behind the wheels of a “fancy motor rather than in an old banger.” The University team showed women pictures of the same man sitting in two cars — a $100,000 silver Bentley Continental and a battered Ford Fiesta.  The women, aged between 21 to 40, picked the man sitting in the Bentley ahead of the same man in the Ford.

The source article on Telegraph UK quotes the study’s author, Dr Dunn, that he believes this basic human trait will not change in the future – even as women become more independent and wealthy in their own rights.  He said: “It appears that the stereotype of women being positively influenced by a man’s status is true and, evolutionarily speaking, this makes sense.  “However, even with the growing number of women in high-paid careers and the fact that they can be highly successful has no effect on how attractive they are to men.  “What you find is that these new, wealthy women still show a preferment for high-status males.”

Now his researchers plan to carry out further studies – to guide men buying expensive cars in their mid-life crisis.  Dr Dunn, who admits to driving an old Ford Ka, will examine if high-status items like expensive cars can help make up for “the attractiveness-diminishing effects of age.”