You might not be able to own an Apple car, and so far as we know, the California based maker of mobile phones and computers has never built a car, but a new survey suggests that many buyers want an Apple car more than anything else.

The analysis, which was published by consultancy Strategic Vision found that 26 per cent of potential car buyers would ‘Definitely Consider’ an Apple car. That brand consideration was only third behind Toyota and Honda, and beat established automotive brands such as Ford and Tesla.

Apple have long been rumoured to be in the business of building a car, though they’ve never admitted it officially, it is thought that the company is working on a car under the codename ‘Project Titan’.

The company’s CEO Tim Cook has skirted around the issue in previous interviews, but gave the strongest hint in a podcast last year when paying tribute to Tesla’s development of driverless car technology. He said: “An autonomous car is a robot and so there are a lot of things you can do with autonomy. We will see what Apple does," Cook told the Sway podcast.

"We love to integrate hardware, software, and services, and find the intersection points of those because we think that's where the magic occurs."

Worryingly for Elon Musk, the Strategic Vision report found that 50 per cent of Tesla owners would definitely consider an Apple car. But as Strategic Vision President Alexander Edwards said, the prospect may be years and even decades away.

“What Apple ultimately presents in terms of styling, powertrain, product, and other key features will finally determine the level of interest generated among car shoppers. However, their brand awareness and reputation provide a formidable platform that automotive manufacturers should brace themselves for accordingly,” Edwards said.

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