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June 11, 2009

Should Animal Brand Naming for Cars be on the Endangered List?

The old debate over alphanumeric car names is back now that Chrysler has been swallowed by Fiat.

jaguar_silver_logo.gifBrendan Doyle of McClatchy Newspapers asks carmakers to "junk" the "gibberish seemingly plucked from secure passwords" and go back to good old fashioned naming. He blames European imports (like the soon to be released, super sexy Lexus LFA) for sowing confusion and notes that the magix letter for car naming is "X," because it denotes secret new technologies and is a plosive letter that resonates with consumers.

Nevertheless, Fiat is going to introduce its legendary "500" as simply that: the "500" with "no brand name attached."

But the vehicles that will keep Chrysler alive in the U.S. all have real names: Dodge Ram, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Dodge Charger.

While more automotive brands opt for numbers, The New York Times is lamenting the death of the "Rabbit" brand name and looking back with nostalgia on the "powerful, totemic animal names that lent cars personality."

According to the The New York Times blog post, Coneheads.gifJaguar used to be the "Swallow Sidecar" and one famous poet suggested the Ford Edsel be called the "Utopian Turtletop." Saab also channels the animal spirit with a griffin on its crest while Porsche uses stags.

The funniest part of the blog is the mention of the Coneheads, where Dan Ackroyd refers to the Ford Lincoln Mercury Sable" as "a personal conveyance named after its inventor, an assassinated ruler, a character from Greco-Roman myth and a small furry mammal."

It just too tough to deny the instinct of wanting to hear a car engine roar.

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Posted by William Lozito at June 11, 2009 9:23 AM
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