Numbers are taking precedence over old conventional names. Carmakers say they sound classier.
Last November, Mark Fields, Ford Motor Co.'s executive vice president, took the stage at the L.A. Auto Show "to show the new flagship sedan, the Lincoln MKX." Oops. Fields quickly corrected himself because he wasn't introducing the MKX, a luxury sport utility vehicle, but the MKS, a luxury sedan that will come out this summer. The gaffe wasn't surprising, considering that Lincoln also produces the MKZ, has a concept car called the MKR and is set to debut the MKT, another concept car, in Detroit this month.
If a guy like Fields can trip up, one can only imagine what could happen to the ordinary motorist who is checking out the 2008 models from Cadillac -- CTS, DTS, XLR, STS, XRS, XLR, ESV and EXT -- or Lexus -- LS, GS, ES, IS, SC, LX, GX and RX -- or Volvo -- S40, S60, S80, V50, V70, XC70, XC90, C30 and C70.Where are the Gremlins of yesteryear? Or the El Dorados, for that matter? They are history."Blame BMW and Mercedes, which set the bar for naming luxury cars with their decades-old alphanumeric nameplates -- BMW with the 3 Series, 5 Series and 7 Series; Mercedes with the C-, E- and S-
How do you like alphanumeric car names?
I'm sure alpha numeric cars will be forgotten and cars with names will be remembered.
Last November, Mark Fields, Ford Motor Co.'s executive vice president, took the stage at the L.A. Auto Show "to show the new flagship sedan, the Lincoln MKX." Oops. Fields quickly corrected himself because he wasn't introducing the MKX, a luxury sport utility vehicle, but the MKS, a luxury sedan that will come out this summer. The gaffe wasn't surprising, considering that Lincoln also produces the MKZ, has a concept car called the MKR and is set to debut the MKT, another concept car, in Detroit this month.
If a guy like Fields can trip up, one can only imagine what could happen to the ordinary motorist who is checking out the 2008 models from Cadillac -- CTS, DTS, XLR, STS, XRS, XLR, ESV and EXT -- or Lexus -- LS, GS, ES, IS, SC, LX, GX and RX -- or Volvo -- S40, S60, S80, V50, V70, XC70, XC90, C30 and C70.Where are the Gremlins of yesteryear? Or the El Dorados, for that matter? They are history."Blame BMW and Mercedes, which set the bar for naming luxury cars with their decades-old alphanumeric nameplates -- BMW with the 3 Series, 5 Series and 7 Series; Mercedes with the C-, E- and S-
How do you like alphanumeric car names?
I'm sure alpha numeric cars will be forgotten and cars with names will be remembered.
7 comments:
My favorite cars...
450SL
and ANY
911...my favorite number.
:)
I take it back...there are some good alphanumerics out there...XKE is one of my favorites, and you can't beat 911...the 911 and older912's have been used by Porsche for decades...
I agree. 450SL is good. 911 is good too. The rest are pretty lame.
Cars named after people are lame too..."Eddie Bauer" REALLY??? Ok, so my daughter drives a PURPLE Eddie Bauer...that just tops of the LAMENESS!
You're on the right track with this post--if a brand is going to have quick recognition, a familiar word will be most easily lodged in memory. 450SL has been pounded into our heads, and it's there forever now, but Gremlin went in a lot quicker. In their quest to be unique, the marketers are forgetting how our brains work.
Caithiseach,
I appreciate your comment...
Thanks
Toyota isn't as bad, but they tend to go a little overboad on their 5 Camry models: Camry, LE, SE, XLE, and the Hybrid.
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