But what happens when we divide the title of executive further into male and female?

Does gender effect the executive car purchasing decision?

Generally, it can be said that women are more image conscious then men. Women are responsible for a considerable proportion of consumer spending in Ireland, so it is quite believable that the female executive will factor such image issues into the purchasing decision of her vehicle.

Ian Sinnamon of Charles Hurst Motors noted that his female customers are more concerned with the colour of their executive car than male executives tend to be . . . but this is not always the case.

"Although colours may vary between male and female executives, in terms of a Ferrari 'how quickly can I have my car' is the more pressing issue, " he said. "Generally we wouldn't see a barrier from male to female. If they have the funds to afford the car, for them it's all about how quickly they can get the car so that they can be one of the first to have it".

Interestingly, Sinnamon finds that in his end of the market (up to Ferrari), he sees far fewer females with that kind of disposable income to buy that kind of top end car.

"I don't know whether that's a reflection of how jobs are allocated in Ireland, but we certainly wouldn't have as many females purchasing these types of cars as we would males, he said. "However, as we move down a notch from the top end brands a different picture emerges."

Anthony Neville, group marketing manager of CRHM Group, feels that there has been a blurring of a difference between male and female purchasing decisions over the last ten years.

"We are seeing more and more senior executives who are female and therefore a lot more females are buying executive cars than we had fifteen years ago, " he said.

As the female progresses up the career ladder she deserves the same opportunities and rewards as any male executive does. So why should the executive car be any different? Indeed, according to Neville, executives, regardless of gender are looking for the same thing from their car.

"Executive buyers are looking for a standard of motoring, " he said. "They are looking for a quality car with a good standard of specifications. Prestige and image are important too, and they wish that how they are perceived reflects their lifestyle. Some are also particularly badge conscious and want to drive cars that project a certain image."

These days, an executive car comes with an array of specifications and there are always more available to be added on at the right price. But it is difficult to say, without appearing sexist, which specifications are more targeted toward either gender.

Many would say that power steering, cruise control and even front and rear parking assist are more geared towards the female market. However such specifications benefit any driver and tend to come standard with any executive car.

As each executive makes his or her purchasing decision with a view to reflect their own image ideal, lifestyle, personality and taste naturally come in to play.

Neville remarked how as gender traits become less defined it becomes more difficult to gender mark certain cars.

"Sports car appeals to both men and women and although certain stereotypes may still apply they are becoming increasingly blurred, " he said.

However, in Neville's experience, he still finds that the image and style of the car can divide the executive decision by gender.

"Some cars can be regarded as too masculine or perhaps too macho to a female buyer and on the other side of the coin some models will attract more female buyers, " he said. "Women tend to go for the more stylish of cars, and size tends to matter too.

The smaller cars such as Coupes and Cabrioles have a propensity to attract female buyers."

This could be for a number of reasons, but Neville believes it is a question of style.

"Women tend to go for the more stylish cars while the men seem to prefer the stronger type cars such as the SUVs, " he explained. "And the difference in the demand for specifications in cars these days can be described as more of an age difference rather than a gender difference. In terms of entertainment in the cars, it's pretty standard that the younger drivers will have their MP3 players and iPods etc installed in their vehicle."

So it seems that as the business world is becoming more equal in the gender stakes consumer behaviour is reflecting this equality as buyers both male and female demand the same treatment, the girls might just prefer it in a prettier package.