why do some manufacturers (such as Peugeot, Mercedes, BMW, Alfa Romeo, Mazda)use numbers and letters when others give their products names?
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Tradition?
Judging by some of the awful/stupid names around at the moment I think numbers are the way forward.
Daihatsu Charade??
Porsche Cayenne ??
Vauxhall Meriva??
VW Phaeton??
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When you consider what happens when the "numbers" people break from tradition:
Alfa Arna (an anagram of "unmitigated pile of guano")
Mazda MPV (Ooooh, I wonder what kind of car that is?)
Mazda Xedos (pronounced "Man, that's ugly even for a Japanese car")
Also consider what happens when manufacturers start adding names to the numbers. You get the Saab 9.3 HoT Aero. Sounds like a bubbly chocolate drink.
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Xedos sounds like a dodgy 70's aftershave - I should know, I had several.
Yes my Mazda - not the most imaginative name on earth but, hey, the Japanese aren't renowned for imagination and at least it 'does what it says on the tin'.
Who knows it may even start a trend:
The Mazda...............
.... 'Estate'
The Toyota .............
...'Small People Carrier'
The Ford........
.... 'Medium Sized Family
Saloon'
The Honda ..........
..... 'Hatchback'.
Even, the all new Porsche.... ..........
.... 'Sports Car'
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ND, as an Alfa aficionado I'm surprised at you. Xedos may be a silly name, but ugly it ain't. In fact one of the nicest looking cars of its day. OK, the grille could do with being a bit bigger, but the rest, especially rear 3/4 view is superb. Almost as good as the 156 saloon!
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Driving in Doha I spotted a Nissan Cedric.Whatever made them think it was an attractive name for buyers???
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SEAT have a good system-just name your cars after Spanish place names.
Just hope we don't get a SEAT Costa del'sol (excuse the spelling).
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It may be too late! Don't forget we have a Honda CRX Del Sol!
--
"Ah...beer - my only weakness - my achilles heel if you will"
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Cant wait for the Seat Estartit then
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But there will never be a Seat Gibraltar
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Of course they could have a Seat 'La Linea de la Frontera' from just over the border instead but I don't think it would fit on the boot.
Its not just Seat - its a fine old tradition calling cars after places as in Ford - Cortina and Capri, Morris - Cowley and Oxford, Austin -Cambridge etc etc.
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Am I the only one to find C5 to be an amusing name for a Citroen? Did they do any research before naming it?
www.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/vehicles/c5.htm
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Mazda Bongo - someone posted a pic of one here a couple of months ago
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Mazda Bongo Friendee (not Friendly) in fact. My sister had one, quite nice for a camper.
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Nissan have to have the best names,Fairlady(350z),Cedric,Gloria,Violet,Sunny,Cherry,Crew and Laurel.Saw a listing recently for a Suzuki Scrum Wag(i think).
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I hanker for the days when names came from the animal kingdom, the Humber Super Snipe was a good example.
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Hi
Of course, there are those manufacturers that have both number/letters and names. For example, Rover do a 25, 45, and 75, but also a StreetWise and CityRover.
I also have a problem with some changes in words. For example, even though 'Focus' may sounds better in the eyes of Ford than 'Escort', I'd still be much happier driving a noun rather than a verb :-).
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I also have a problem with some changes in words. For example, even though 'Focus' may sounds better in the eyes of Ford than 'Escort', I'd still be much happier driving a noun rather than a verb :-).
could have been worse, Ford Hooker, Ford Call Girl?
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Xedos was a practice production run for X Type, if you think about it!!
VB
PS Pugs will be known as FOUR numberes from later this year, starting with 1008, I think.
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ND, as an Alfa aficionado I'm surprised at you. Xedos may be a silly name, but ugly it ain't. In fact one of the nicest looking cars of its day. OK, the grille could do with being a bit bigger, but the rest, especially rear 3/4 view is superb. Almost as good as the 156 saloon!
Now you see, to my eyes it was oh-so-nearly but never quite made it. Certain aspects jarred, including the grille. Overall it gave an impression of being ungainly, mainly down to how it sat on its wheels. Had they been moved a tad closer to the corners it would have completed the job with a lot more conviction.
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