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July 16, 2009

Pontiac G8 to Cop Chevy Caprice Naming and Branding?

First the Taurus, now the erstwhile Chevy Caprice may be making a comeback.

More specifically, Caprice may be the nameplate applied to the Pontiac G8 sedan now that Pontiac is defunct.

Interestingly, the Australian designed and built Caprice is known in its home country as the Holden Commodore or VE Commodore.

But the return of the Caprice nameplate in the U.S. would mark the revival of a well-loved, forty-year-old brand name. This may be a car that is "too good to waste" after being launched in 1965 and reaching it's zenith in the late seventies before being phased out in 1996.

This also reverses a statement by GM CEO Fritz Henderson that the G8 would be killed off partly because he is "not a fan of rebadging."

General Motors Vice Chairman for Creative Elements of Products and Customer Relationships, Bob Lutz, seems to think differently and has been the champion of the Caprice name for the car.

However, the car itself would have to be slightly modified - the grille currently has the twin kidney Pontiac look. Consumer Reports thinks it will look more like a Lumina if it does in fact become a Chevy brand name.

The Caprice is a wise naming choice, not least because this real wheel vehicle is a perfect ft for law enforcement agencies, who have been known to use the Caprice in the past.

Technorati Tags: Caprice, Pontiac G8, Caprice Naming, Pontiac Rebranding, Chevy Brand Name

Posted by William Lozito at July 16, 2009 9:30 AM
Posted to Automotive | Brand Naming | Branding | Industry | Naming | Product Naming

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