Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:00:24 -0600
Reply-To: Andrew Grebneff <goose1047@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Andrew Grebneff <goose1047@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Fryeday Content.. some GM trivia and news on the VOLT (NVC)
In-Reply-To: <b45a982b0809111130w768d54fam3971843461e35845@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Er... the excerpt here wasn't mine... but I'll add my cent's worth here.
"SUV" is a gross misnomer. The vast majority of these vehicles are the
antithesis of sportiness.
Unfortunately I don't think an alternative term has been introduced
anywhere. Calling them 4WDs isn't it... not only are there lots of other
4WDs around of completely different type (vans, coupes, sedans, dumptrucks),
but some "SUVs" are 2WD (Frod's Explorer and Territory are examples). "4WD
wagon with offroad capability" is much closer to accuracy, but again is
ambiguous and has lots of exceptions.
How about a vanagon.com competition to come up with a logical name (or
acronym) for "SUVs"?
The same goes for what those in the US call "minivans". The rest of the
world calle them MPVs (unfortunately Mazda grabbed this acronym as the name
for its own MPV, which hardly invalidates the term. A real minivan is a true
van of diminutive proportions eg Daihatsu Hijet, Mitsubishi L100, Suzuki
Carry. So-called US "minivans" are not vans at all (with the exception of
the van-type body of Toyota's van (not Camry, despite what Wikipedia
claims)-based Estima/Previa/Tarago 1990-2000 and the Estima/Previa/Tarago of
2000-present. The others are all really just stationwagons of over 5-seat
capacity (most with zero luggage space when all seats are in use as seats).
No neede for a competition here, as the suitable name MPV already exists.
On Thu, Sep 11, 2008 at 12:30 PM, Aristotle Sagan
<killer.jupiter@gmail.com>wrote:
> Andrew...
>
> Just because they didn't call it a SUV doesn't mean they didn't exist.
> The Ford Brono goes back to about 1964, The Chevy K5 Blazer, about
> 1970. I learned to drive on an 1968 International Travellall,
> certainly well within the specs for a modern SUV (without the safety
> stuff). The little brother to the Travellall was the International
> Scout. Now Jeeps.. well Jeeps have been making SUVs since the Willy's
> Wagons of the late forties as well as Cherokees from the early 60's..
> The list goes on, the Dodge Power Wagon, there is Studebaker wagon for
> sale here in San Jose that looks for all the world the prototype for
> an SUV. And they went out of business in 1964.
>
> Perhaps envision isn't the word you wanted....
>
> tim in san jose
>
Hmm... the Toyota LandCruiser Wagon goes a way back too. I guess you could
call the even older regular LandCruiser (which is also technically a wagon,
except for the cab/chassis versions!) could be called a bare-bones "SUV'.
Jeez, the VW T1 could be too...
| 
