As I was driving down the road yesterday, I looked up and saw an Ford "Expedition" drive by, and then I saw a Subarua "Outback," and then a Nissan "Pathfinder."

I can't believe how they bastardize names of destinations and things affiliated with adventure and travel. When you ask someone if they have ever heard of Denali, I bet you most people would actually think it's just a car, instead of one of the most kick ass places in Alaska.

Here are some others I thought of.

Denali
Yukon
Excursion

What else?

I have a feeling that a Subaru Bob would not sell all that well...

Monte Carlo, Malibu

Ford Sierra, Everest/Endeavor, Koln, Torino, Ranchero, Ranger

Chevy Avalanche, Trailblazer, El Camino (maybe? Camino means trail in Spanish), Montana, Nomad,

Chrysler Voyager, Pacifica, Aspen, Conquest, Daytona, New Yorker,

Toyota Highlander, Land Cruiser, Sienna

Nissan Frontier, Murano, Patrol/Safari, Quest, X-Trail

Subaru Baja, Forester

Pontiac Aztek, Parisienne, Safari


to name a few....

this actually bothers you?

quote:

I have a feeling that a Subaru Bob would not sell all that well...

Rocknrod nails it.

By the way, if you were not my boss, I would move this topic to "Chit Chat".

I wouldn't bring it up, if it didn't bother me. Yes, it's not that big of a deal, but when names like Denali and Yukon are becoming more known as vehicles instead of places - sure, it's kind of depressing.

Donovan

I would buy a Subaru Bob.

Is it a kleenex or a tissue, and do you use scotch tape... even if its made by 3m?

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Ok, so I'm intrigued. I've been doing some pondering, and to the best of my knowledge cars were not "named" until the 1950's. Before then, most were described by their features and the engineer given model designations. A few companies also had engineers that said, Damn it, you can have any color you want so long as its black.

Think about this, you could buy a Chevrolet Coupe, a Dodge Business Coupe, a Ford Cabriolet... from 1920 till 1949. You could get a Chevrolet business coupe, or a Ford Coupe...

The body style, is its own definition of a car. But it does not tell you who made it, or what year it was made... especially when you have a hundred companies with 30+ years of production.

When you give it a name, it is something with which people can identify. Its not a Chevrolet Coupe, which describes about every 2 door Chevrolet ever built... its a Chevrolet Corvette. Corvette: a quick handling warship... not just for GM but for Navy's around the world.

The other alternative is to stick to the model designation. Or, let the engineer name the car. Go by the engine size, or by how many tries it took. (Like WD-40 was named, 40th test for a water dispersing agent.)

Ferrari, Porsche, and BMW do it by numbering the cars. But how many numbers can you use before it gets absurd? It’s quite confusing unless you’re a car guy, or someone that cares. A Ferrari F365 is quite different from an F355... almost 30 years apart, even if they are still red. The larger the number, the more you spent generally… but is that a Porsche 911 built in 1969 or 1999? And since we are using numbers, doesn’t it make sense that a 914 (70’s model) would be newer than a 911? (Still in production.)

Yes, it is sad to see great land marks slip out of the minds eye of the general public… but, they were after all… great enough to get a car named after them!

(I like having names for things, so when I’m looking at crotch rockets I don’t have to figure out the difference between a CBR1000RR and a Z1000R. Typing that is a lot more like trying to decipher a serial number off a washing machine motor than drooling over murdercycles. Like how it goes in abstract art, the normal Joe walks in and sees Jack the Drippers stuff and goes, “What is that?” I think it looks like he murdered a lot of ice cream sundaes.)

Here is an article that holds the opposite view: http://money.cnn.com/2004/09/07/pf/autos/car_name_decoder/

Well, Donovan, I have crap news for you.

Ever tried to name a product for Corporate America? I have. Guess what? They are all taken. As nerokerr alludes, they've all been scooped up, trademark/"owned" and are just sittin' in the vault waitin' for the next piece of shitty sheet metal from car company A, B, or C. Anything that has to do with a cool trip (Navigator, Odyssey, Aviator (huh?)....), or even just a great destination, has been spoken for, mostly by the braintrust in Detroit. (Are you ready for the Cadillac Kili?) Don't believe me when I say all the good names are taken?

I offer you the Toyota Tacoma.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to hop in my Chevy Tahoe, engage the 4-wheel-drive, and see if I can successfully navigate the speed-bumps in the Safeway parking lot.

Yes, I know this is a fact of life with corporate America marketing whizs. And probably over time, after they have used every name possible cool adventure name, they might revert to some other way to name cars. What about basing it on pharmaceutical drugs?

What about the Toyoto Viagra? Or the Nissan Xanax?


Donovan

quote:

Originally posted by Donovan:
What about basing it on pharmaceutical drugs?

What about the Toyoto Viagra? Or the Nissan Xanax?

Well, the obvious answer is because those are already trademarked names. It would have to be the Toyota Sildenafil Citrate or the Nissan Alprazolam

I can't wait until they release the Ford Gigantor! 5 mpg, the size of the QE2 and as flippable as the Poseidon!

Donovan,

I suppose for us "foot-powered" backpacker types, adventure/travel and automobiles seem like opposing forces. But for many (most?) folks, adventure and travel occur inside a car.

For auto-centric folks, buying a Denali or a Tahoe simply means that they have a vehicle that can handle the extreme conditions that will await them at those destinations when they arrive at the scenic pullout or car campground.

Still, I do share your disgust as the good reputation of these wilderness areas is comodified to sell the very tool of their distruction.

Nah… we’ve just got different perspectives.

When I slide under the thin steering wheel of an antique automobile and head out of town it is a journey to nowhere. I am enjoying the outdoors, the same as if walking on the beach or riding my bike. The wind rushes through my hair, I smell the flowers… The temperature drops when you turn behind a stand of tree’s, and the light flickers when the sun sets.

Nope, the machine is an extension of self, like a good pair of boots. It is not an insulator, but a magnifier of the sites and sounds of many places. Old machines and well worn boots send you back to a time when there were fewer cares and life was simple. Where walking the beach is a task that lasts the day, driving provides a broader view of the lay of the land. If you see something better than the rush to your senses that driving provides… stop for the afternoon and get your feet wet.

There are of course “transportation appliances” as I call them which have a use, like a washing machine. They go from point A to point B and are used as needed. When they get old, they are thrown away. Monotony… they are soulless machines. They are never “in their element” at no point do they become an extension of self. When was the last time you tossed a your pair of favorite boots… Right, that’s what I thought.

Turn off the A/C. Drop the windows. Turn off the radio, and blur the line where the pedals stop and your feet start. Slow down and look at something other than the road… it’ll still be there when you glance back. Meditate over anything… your in the zone.