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58_Roadmaster
With respect to antp, I wanted to create a tangent from the discussion on the page: www.imcdb.org/vehicle.php?id=83543
The idea came up that some model names don't really engage the potential customer to buy that particular vehicle, and this includes language minomers that work in one market but do not yield the same result in another.
My two favorites are the DeSoto Shopper of the 50s and the Mercury Commuter of the mid 50s-60s. Given the time, those are attractive names for station wagons--multi purpose civilian vehicles during a time of urban sprawl (expansion) and rampant consumerism. It's the same reason I have a postcard of the 1920s showing an escalator--at the time of publication this was technology to hold in high regard. Today, you couldn't sell any "Commuter"-named vehicle. Theres no energy such as is present with "Pathfinder" or "Outlander." So are there other "commonly-named" cars. I can guess there are a lot of older cars with the name "Standard." That was Studebaker's base model Lark in the 50s and 60s.
Cars used to be named by their engines with names like Six, Eight, or Twelve. Then we got bigger numbers: One Fifty, One Eighty, Series 90 (Buick Limited), then trim/body levels: 500, 500XL, Electra 225. Chrysler 300. I remember Pontiac had a special Bonneville SSEI. Now a lot of the luxury cars, or cars claiming to be them, have a seemingly-random string of characters: XG350, QX56. And what's the story with the Dodge Diplomat? Was that really the way Chrysler would have liked US Ambassadors to display American engineering (smirk)?
So where are we with vehicle names? Are Japanese and Europeans the only automakers to specify engine size within the series name? Trucks and SUVs are going to stress scale, rugged terrain, and durability. Sedans and minivans are going to stress comfort and prestige. Mass-produced sporty cars are going to be follow almost every trend that happens along. It will be interesting to see the names given to vehicles that are yet to be produced. Outdoorsy names will likely be just as popular now as in the 50s when Desoto used the Adventurer and Sportsman nameplates. Just some thoughts.
The idea came up that some model names don't really engage the potential customer to buy that particular vehicle, and this includes language minomers that work in one market but do not yield the same result in another.
My two favorites are the DeSoto Shopper of the 50s and the Mercury Commuter of the mid 50s-60s. Given the time, those are attractive names for station wagons--multi purpose civilian vehicles during a time of urban sprawl (expansion) and rampant consumerism. It's the same reason I have a postcard of the 1920s showing an escalator--at the time of publication this was technology to hold in high regard. Today, you couldn't sell any "Commuter"-named vehicle. Theres no energy such as is present with "Pathfinder" or "Outlander." So are there other "commonly-named" cars. I can guess there are a lot of older cars with the name "Standard." That was Studebaker's base model Lark in the 50s and 60s.
Cars used to be named by their engines with names like Six, Eight, or Twelve. Then we got bigger numbers: One Fifty, One Eighty, Series 90 (Buick Limited), then trim/body levels: 500, 500XL, Electra 225. Chrysler 300. I remember Pontiac had a special Bonneville SSEI. Now a lot of the luxury cars, or cars claiming to be them, have a seemingly-random string of characters: XG350, QX56. And what's the story with the Dodge Diplomat? Was that really the way Chrysler would have liked US Ambassadors to display American engineering (smirk)?
So where are we with vehicle names? Are Japanese and Europeans the only automakers to specify engine size within the series name? Trucks and SUVs are going to stress scale, rugged terrain, and durability. Sedans and minivans are going to stress comfort and prestige. Mass-produced sporty cars are going to be follow almost every trend that happens along. It will be interesting to see the names given to vehicles that are yet to be produced. Outdoorsy names will likely be just as popular now as in the 50s when Desoto used the Adventurer and Sportsman nameplates. Just some thoughts.