According to my dictionary a liana is "a woody climbing usually tropical plant". Don't the people who choose model names consult dictionaries?
Edited by Pugugly on 28/07/2008 at 19:37
|
I recall reading that it stood for "Life in a new age" - which, on reflection, is probably even odder.
|
I recall reading that it stood for "Life in a new age" - which on reflection is probably even odder.
It's marketing speak for "Car for old people". They wanted a word meaning "Money for old rope" but MINI was already taken.
|
|
Don't the people who choose model names consult dictionaries?
They tried but the Range Rover 'Pointless' wasn't the big hit they expected.
|
|
odd certainly but not as odd as Skoda's choice of Fabia which is latin for bean farmer. Octavia is pretty odd too as it means eighth. Eighth what?
|
I always assumed that Octavia was something to do with a Roman Emperor's wife.
|
Sailing dangerously close to recalling some of the better ones from "Up Pompeii" !!!
|
Come to think of it I'm going from a "World" to a mere "Sign". Bit of a comedown eh ?
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 28/07/2008 at 21:32
|
I'm saying nothing about the Mitsubishi Pajero......
|
|
Come to think of it I'm going from a "World" to a mere "Sign". Bit of a comedown eh ?
I wonder how many backroomers know what you meant?
I spy someone's previous name beginning with S?
|
If the General had had its way Humphus would have been drivig a Vectrum - which would have rhymed very closely with a anatomical part, and given Jeremy C a non-stop giggling fest.
|
|
|
|
|
always assumed that Octavia was something to do with a Roman Emperor's wife.
Skoda names - Fabia, Felicia, Octavia - are all Roman names.
|
Of course the Empress Roomster ! :-)
|
Of course the Empress Roomster ! :-)
Superb! ;-)
|
Superb! ;-)
Thassa Skoda too isn't it ? Somewhere along the way you get to "superbus" I suppose. Boris might be interested.
Oh and the other thing, you may well be right and there is a very uninteresting and boring reason. Shhh.
;-)
|
What's in a name?
It's not possible for manufacturers to scan all languages for meaning of the word.
Hyundai has since adopted numbers instead of names eg. i10, i30, i80 etc.
|
>Hyundai has since adopted numbers instead of names eg. i10, i30, i80 etc.
Oh dear.
Eyethirty in Owambo is very rude!
Kevin...
|
|
|
Skoda names - Octavia, Felicia, Fabia
Skoda was founded by eight happy bean farmers hence the above names
|
|
|
|
|
It's a shame, although inevitable I suppose, that names have to be so international now. I can't help feeling nostalgic for the days when cars had names like Standard Vanguard, Triumph Renown, and Austin Cambridge - names that made you feel proud to be British.
I'll never forget the noble view from the driving seat down the bonnet to the flying-A mascot of my first car, a pre-Farina Austin A50 Cambridge. Yes, of course we've made progress since then, but not without the odd regret.
|
The day that BMW start using made up names is the day I hang up my car keys. Mind you the Italians seem to make even the most humble handle seem like the sexiest of word arrangements ever. Maserati Quadraporte= Maserati Fourdoor, I rest my case.
|
Quattroporte, yes, and seidicivalvole on the rear door of the 16v Fiat whateveritwas... longest chrome word I can think of, longer than Superleggera although not much...
|
|
Mind you the Italians seem to make even the most humble handle seem like the sexiest of word arrangements ever.
Indeed would music by Giuseppe Verdi seem the same by his English name, Joe Green.
|
What's the shortest ? Ka perhaps ?
|
Found this list of the worst car names which are all genuine-I think I would rather like a Honda Life Dunk
Mazda Bongo Friendee
Nissan Cedric
Suzuki Mom's Personal Wagon
Subaru BRAT
Plymouth Scamp
Perodua Myvi ]
Proton Persona
Proton Savvy ]
Honda Life Dunk
Daihatsu Naked
|
What about the VW Touareg -- named after an African tribe that still endorses slavery. Or the Vauxhall Nova -- "it doesn't go" in Spanish. The Ford Escort as well -- fancy naming a car after a hooker.
Nice little nugget of useless info I dug up -- apparently in Israel Kia is pronounced "Kaya" because Kia sounds like the Hebrew word for vomit.
There's a Ukrainian manufacturer called "Doninvest". That ain't going to go down too well when they're trying to get capital from one of the big Western car companies is it?
Worse still, and I think this qualifies as the worst name ever, is the "Doninvest Assol" which was a CKD'd Daewoo Lanos.
Edited by jase1 on 29/07/2008 at 20:35
|
Perhaps a Welsh speaker will confirm this, Mrs P reckons that the Nissan Almera Tino is somewhat unfortunately named so for Welsh customers.
|
The Ssangyong Rodius doesn't do itself many favours either, with its name being changed to Odious, rather obviously. Car itself is hideous as well; shows what happens when you let a British designer loose on a car design these days!!
|
Two more to throw into the ring. Note to namewriters (if there is such a trade) - watch out for Spanish words in model names. A car market of 300 million plus speakers usually proves impenetrable to cars with names like these:
Daihatsu Laputa tinyurl.com/55t2b6
An island in Gulliver's travels, apparently. ("The wh*re" - rhymes with store)
Nissan Moco tinyurl.com/6oqjvg
Mmmm, lovely lurid colour, It's almost begging for the nickname "Greeny". Well, there's a thing, as Nissan decided to call this little baby "Snot"
|
Found a few more! (If anyone's still interested...)
Suzuki Afternoon Tea
Daihatsu Social Poze
Mazda Secret Hydeout (sic)
Mitsubishi Mini Active Urban Sandal
Mitsubishi Mum
Mitsubishi Lettuce
Mooku Mook The Tokyo Princess (retro take on the iconic Vanden Plas Princess!)
Daihatsu D-Bag
Daihatsu Naked
Daihatsu Rugger Field Sports Resin Top
Honda Life Dunk
Nissan Big Thumb
Isuzu Giga 20 Light Dump
Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard
Toyota Deliboy (was it yellow and three wheeled, by any chance?)
|
Toyota Deliboy (was it yellow and three wheeled, by any chance?)
Yellow yes, slightly up on the compliment of wheels though.
lenduong.vn/UserFiles/Toyota-Deliboy.jpg
|
|
|
|