Dave@Moon Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 I think it's time for one of the more frivolous threads that used to be plentiful on this forum. These would usually start with a simple question for discussion, like: [color:\\"red\\"] What was the most poorly chosen name for a car? Extra ponts will be considered for sexual inuendo or doughnut references! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxnard Montalvo Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 Ford Probe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 Alldays&Onions, always sounded like an odd name for a car company. Popular British car 1898-1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 Are we talking names that just absolutely don't fit the car it was given to, or these damn computer-generated inoffensive soothing pabulum names the Asians are so fond of hanging on their cars?I can think of one that was very aptly named- the Daihatsu Charade, because it is truly a joke of a car. I've got it- Yugo! because more likely than not, you didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Smeraldo Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Remember when GM was surprised when the Nova didn't sell in Spanish speaking countries? No va means doesn't go in Spanish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyking Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 How about a Gaylord Gentleman, now that's a crazy name for ya! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Old Guy Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 You are right. but they were a GREAT singing group back in the 50s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Randy Berger Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Now how many folks would remember "Tell Me Darling" by the Gaylords? YFAM, Randy Berger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyking Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 What about the Playboy. (automobile, that is) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave@Moon Posted October 7, 2002 Author Share Posted October 7, 2002 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Remember when GM was surprised when the Nova didn't sell in Spanish speaking countries? No va means doesn't go in Spanish. </div></div> Al,Have you tried looking up "Matador" on a Spanish dictionary? I think AMC should've! I'm told in addition to the sporting (If you can call it that) term, it also means "Murderer". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HOOIE Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 Hupmobile always seemed like a strange name to me, but I kinda like it. A peeve of mine is when a manufacturer uses the same name for different cars. In the late 80s you could have an Olds Cutlass Supreme, rear wheel drive. Cutlass Cierra or Cutlass Calais, both front wheel drive, but different bodied cars. Chrysler LeBaron did the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29 Chandler Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 Don't forget DORT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 Green Egg. it was a motorcycle during the 20's or 30's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 What about the Dodge "Swinger". Did these cars swing backwards and forewards or did they actually go down the road(swinging backwards and forwards)? What a name! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 You still can't rule out the Whippet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 Could be the planned Honda Fitta. After the japanese found out just before starting marketing in Scandinavia earlier this year that "fitta" in Norwegian is slang for "pussy". And thats not the CAT...Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 Ford Aspire (wasn't really a car, just aspired to be one) Toyota TT (Their answer to the sporty sounding SS's of long ago) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
56clipper Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 FoMoCo: Utopian Turtletop. Oh wait, they didn't like that one, so they went with the much sportier sounding Edsel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 Goggomobil.Dumbest name I've ever heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hal Davis (MODEL A HAL) Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 What about Granada? I understand that means pomegranit in Spanish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 11, 2002 Share Posted October 11, 2002 What about the Maverick "Grabber"? Now that's a lawsuit waiting to happen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 The British car make, in the twenties, by the name of GWYNNES, was never very popular in France at the time ; the name means "lesbian" in rude French slang....What about poor "Gwynnett" Paltrow ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 We're restoring a 1909 ONLY, so named because it had only 1 cylinder...unfortunately only 14 ONLY cars were built before the company went bankrupt. "You're restoring an Only? Are there any other ONLYs known?" "No, we're restoring the only ONLY". "Parts hard to find?" "Yea...most parts for the Only are Only only"......shades of "Who's on first" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 I believe the first Toyotas marketed in the US were "Toyapets."Spelling may not be right but that's how they were prounounced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 Wasn't there a Studebaker Dictator? Odd thing to celebrate by naming a car after... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyking Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 How about a Gremlin dressed in Levi's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Victory John- was that something like a Ch-ch-ch-Chia Pet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Boudway Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 I was informed by our exchange student from Brazil that PINTO in his language was the word for a male sex organ. I wonder how many of these were sold there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 What about the BRICKLIN? At least they didn't call it the BLOCKLIN or the CONCRETELIN! Somehow the name BRICKLIN doesn't conjure up thoughts of a speed demon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 OK, for obscurities sake how about the Grout, Blood, Seven Little Buffaloes, Durkopp, Trojan,Angus Sanderson,Charron-Laycock,Unic,Tamplin et al............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Smeraldo Posted October 28, 2002 Share Posted October 28, 2002 If you put a Pinto engine in a Fitta would you get a Bebe Peugot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 28, 2002 Share Posted October 28, 2002 Yes, if you forget your Trojan........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DeSoto Frank Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 How 'bout 'Elcar' -that's Spanish, isn't it?Then there was the 'Ogren', back in the '20s...Not to mention the 'Jaeger', which came with a bottle of foul-smelling hooch in the tool kit...."Rockne", the Notre Dame car...'Auto Red Bug'- what the heck ????!'Terraplane' (?) Dad said they used to be nick-named 'Tear-a-parts'"Geronimo" - not popular with ranchers...Probably, the winner for "klunkiest name" would have been Hitler's concept of the name for the original VW: the KDF ("Stregnth through Joy")wagen !Chew on these for a while; I'll see if I can come up with more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BruceW Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 The Hupmobile was named after the car manufacturer's founder... Robert C. Hupp.Likewise, the Dort was named after the marque's founder...J Dallas Dort. The Bricklin was named after its creater.....Malcolm BricklinElcar is not a Spanish name. The original Elcar automobile was named after the location of the manufacturer, Elkhart, Indiana. The name of the manufacturer was the Elkhart Carriage and Motor Car Company who made an automobile called the Sterling in the early 1900s. The company eventually changed its name to Elcar and produced an automobile with that name.During the 1980s, an electric automobile was made that was also named Elcar.. short for Electric Car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave@Moon Posted December 23, 2003 Author Share Posted December 23, 2003 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> What was the most poorly chosen name for a car? </div></div> I found it! No doubt.I just picked up a copy of David Wise's <span style="font-style: italic">The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the World's Automobiles</span> (1979) on eBay. In it's list of manufacturers there is a French car which was built in 1919 and 1920.The <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">ASS</span></span>! Yes it's an acronym. There are periods after each letter in the car's ads but <span style="font-style: italic">not</span> in the car's (prominent) badging. The car's quite small, and greatly resembles an Austin 7. It features an oversized nickel radiator proudly sporting "ASS" badging in oversized nickel script.It's a thing of beauty to me. Daer Santa....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decembro Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 So Whippet, Whippet good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stexch Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 According to Georgano, A.S.S. stood for Automobiles Sans Soupapes. Now I now what "Automobiles" means, and I know that "Sans" is French for "without", so I can only assume that "Soupapes" mean "good name". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave@Moon Posted December 24, 2003 Author Share Posted December 24, 2003 <span style="font-style: italic">Soupape</span> is French for "valve". This is getting interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyking Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 I can just picture myself at a car show and some chick pulls in with one of these cars. At least I can tell her she has a nice A.S.S. without getting slapped.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 That has happened in reply to "Hey Betty, how's your Aspen?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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