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June 25, 2009

Back from the Auto Naming No-Man's Land, The Taurus Is Back!

The Ford Taurus is back after the new CEO Alan Mulally decided to resurrect the name after asking Ford executives in 2006 "How many billions of dollars does it cost to build brand loyalty around a name?"

This is exactly the question I would have liked to ask them!

He instructed his engineers to go ahead and "make the coolest vehicle that you can possibly make (and name it the Taurus)," and the result is now on the road.

The press likes it, as does pretty much anyone who sees it.

But the interesting thing to note is that the car is not the mid-range, erstwhile "flying potato" of the early 1990s. This is an upscale, full size luxury sedan priced between $27,000 and $38,000.

Autoblog calls it the "once and future king" and takes us down memory lane from the very first Taurus (1985) all the way to its demise in 2006. They also remind us that Ford briefly revived the Taurus name on the 500 in 2007, and that it went from "America's hope to America's rental lots."

Now, you will soon be able to get the Taurus SHO (Super High Output), which one Ford executive calls the "flagship sedan."

Although, to get one of these with all the bells and whistles, you're looking at an even higher price tag of $41,000.

The San Francisco Ford, Lincoln, Mercury blog says that "convincing consumers that the new Taurus is a Taurus is one thing; making them fork over 40 grand for one is another. Both are hurdles Ford will have to overcome to make the car a success in the market."

Applying the Taurus name to an upscale automobile is a big risk. The Taurus was the ultimate mid-range car - Detroit's answer to the Camry, not the Lexus.

Why would somebody want to pay luxury prices for a brand name that is indelibly associated with good value?

I don't know how this will play out for Ford, but for me, it will definitely be exciting to see the Taurus back on the road again.

Technorati Tags: Taurus, Ford Taurus, Auto Naming, Car Names, Ford Naming

Posted by William Lozito at June 25, 2009 8:05 AM
Posted to Automotive | Brand Naming | Branding | Industry | Marketing | Naming | Product Naming

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