Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:10:36 -0700
Reply-To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: NVC vehicle model names? WT_ were they thinking?
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTilnqSjXBhpa-lMrDpufff9zdvQzQGDSQH28AbJL@mail.gmail.com>
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More to the point, why don't we get the really cool names they use in foreign/home markets like the Mazda Friendlee Bongo or the Geely King Kong?
Stephen
--- On Fri, 6/18/10, Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: NVC vehicle model names? WT_ were they thinking?
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Friday, June 18, 2010, 12:08 PM
When car and truck companies name a vehicle it's supposed to evoke an
image, right? Get you, as a prospective buyer thinking about
"the...Whatever.." and how cool it sounds, so you'll be more likely to buy
one of them, right? Well sometimes that might work.....a little, but most
of the model designations are pretty lame and some are downright
laughable... Anybody care to cite a few and what they bring to your mind?
How bout the SUVs? (I am not dissin anyone's ride here, just commenting
on the Names) the Yukon, the Armada? The Tundra?....Brings to my mind
those huge open pit mining trucks driving across a fragile landscape
crushing all kinds of delicate plants and leaving frozen ruts for All of
Time..
The Range Rover....back in the day that may have been kinda appropriate as
a name forthe very adequate off road vehicles that they were... but now the
name evokes a couple of snobby wanna-be adventure tourists dressed up headed
to a play, driving on the freeway.
Toyota Tercel...does that evoke a small falcon swooping along? Nope...not
to me anyhow...I think "generic little car" with a dumb name.\
"Hummer"...nuff said. Dodge Magnum...that one sort of fits the
vehicle..and Powerstroke Diesel Ford...good description, I guess...But
"Excursion" for the SUV? Or Tahoe? I don't think 'beautiful alpine lake'
when I see one of those oversized tanks rolling along with Mom in it, headed
to the supermarket..
Here's a couple of 're-badge' suggestions: The old Air cooled vans from
VW should have been called "Antartics" maybe..or "Glaciers" Aztecs coulda
been called Upchucks. Land Cruisers could be Land Crushers. Prius' could
be Prissys. Pontiac Vibe?...no comment.
I dunno...I was creeping through Portland, Or. rush hour recently amusing
myself looking at the Marketeers names on all the vehicles and just
chuckling at some of them...Motorhomes are further out..Even Porsche got
into it recently...with the Cayenne, the Cayman, the Boxster...maybe they
shoulda stuck with the numbers. ..
Don Hanson
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