Something i've just picked up from the Corrolla thread...
anyone know the daftest name for a car........ or unlikely spin off when translated into another language
for example, the old war story about the Pajero/Shogun............with Pajero apparently meaning a very rude word in Spanish....(no idea if it's true)
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I thought I knew one of these but could remember so went to google and found these nuggets:
General motors made a car named "Opel Ascona". This model sold poorly in Galicia, the northwestern region of Spain. In the galician and also portuguese languages, the term is similar to the term for female genitalia.
Nova (as in Vauxhall Nova) translates as 'won't go' in central America
Ford Comet, Ford Caliente
Ford's Comet, was called "Caliente" in Mexico. "Caliente" literally means "hot" (as in temperature), but colloquially it is also used for either "horny" or "prostitute".
Ford's Cortina is translated as "jalopy". (eh?)
Hyundai had problems with the Hyundai Pony. In Cockney rhyming slang, "Pony" is short for "pony and trap", meaning c**p. It didn't deter Hyundai, they still marketed it in the UK (circa 1982). (Mentioned in Independent.co.uk.)
Mazda's Laputa seems like an odd name for a minivan. The Mazda Laputa was introduced in Japan in 1991. Spanish speakers immediately think of "p***", the word for prostitute. With that in mind the ads claiming that "Laputa is designed to deliver maximum utility in a minimum space while providing a smooth, comfortable ride" and "a lightweight, impact-absorbing body" are humorous. Distributors in Santiago, Chile asked Mazda to rename the vehicle
Mitsubishi had to rename its Pajero automobile because the word is a vulgar term for a Mas******ing man.
This story is true, although there was no blunder involved because the car was marketed under a different name from the beginning. In Spanish-speaking countries, this model has been sold as the Montero.
For their series of landcruisers, Nissan Company invented an apparently meaningless word borrowed from the Spanish "pajaro" (bird). They named it "Pachero". This means W* (think of shaking a handful of coffee beans) in South America.
Nissan's minivan Moco doesn't do so well in Spanish-speaking markets. Especially green ones. Distributors in Santiago, Chile asked that the vehicle be renamed since Moco is the Spanish word for mucous.
Rolls Royce changed the name of its car the Silver Mist to the Silver Shadow before entering Germany. In German, "Mist" means manure (to put it nicely).
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All the above courtesy of: www.i18nguy.com/translations.html
I have tried to censor where possible.
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Rolls Royce changed the name of its car the Silver Mist to the Silver Shadow before entering Germany. In German, "Mist" means manure (to put it nicely).
ditto Toyota MR2 in francophone countries.
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I vaguely remember reading that the Fiat Strada (I think) was going to be marketed here as the Rustica (or Rusticar?) until it was pointed out what it sounded like in English - may be an urban myth (or even rustic myth)
--
Phil
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It occurs to me that Escort means 'hired wife for the evening who will do anything within reason if you pay enough''.
God how humiliating. I'd get rid of mine if I could afford to, or gave a damn.
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SWMBO pointed out a Tino (Nissan) - it's a rude word in Welsh apparantly.
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"I'd get rid of mine if I could afford to"
Lud, is that the wife or the car?
--
Phil
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SWMBO pointed out a Tino (Nissan) - it's a rude word in Welsh apparantly.
Only if the" O " is left off the end!
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Nova (as in Vauxhall Nova) translates as 'won't go' in central America
Really??
www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.asp
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W
hmm, the "rude word" syndrome has attracted rather more attention than the alternative route - being just plain daft names. Now, I wonder why that might be? :-)
What about names like the "Cedric" or the totally inappropriate for a British family box, "Avenger"? The "Carisma" doesn't have any and why would you call a car "Sunny"? I'm not strong on foreign car names but you peeps out there must know a good few cringe inducing names?
JH
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British family box, "Avenger"? T
The Avenger Tiger was a formidable motor in its time. Would have been a hot hatch, had it had a hatch of course !
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Ah P, that's cheating! If you're going down that route, a mate had a Lotus Sunbeam. Or was it a Sunbeam Lotus?
JH
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apparently if Lotus have done the tuning work themselves then Lotus comes first...........if they've merely supplied an engine for it, then it comes second
hence mk 1 Lotus Cortina and mk2 Cortina Lotus
no idea about the Sunbeam though, someone on here must know
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W,
Sunbeam Lotus, or Talbot Sunbeam Lotus to give it it's full name. Just checked on www.sunbeamlotus.com/
Some cracking examples by Oldman.
JH
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Westpig
The 'Lotus' name actually disappeared from the Mk2 Cortina - it became the Cortina Twin Cam. Something about licences?
JS
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not before 4032 were made though - John S : )
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Westpig The 'Lotus' name actually disappeared from the Mk2 Cortina - it became the Cortina Twin Cam. Something about licences? JS
The MkII still had the Lotus badge on each rear wing.
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The MkII still had the Lotus badge on each rear wing.
To clarify it was the Escort that was called Twin Cam with the Lotus engine though the MkI and MkII Cortinas used the Lotus name.
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Lotus Sunbeam. Or was it a Sunbeam Lotus?
To quote Ruth in the Archers "Oh NO !"
I can;t rmember which way round either !
I remember being stopped in Manchester as penniless student by two lady rozzers in an unmarked Sunbeam Lotus - better than speed cameras any day of the week !
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Apparently there are only 50 Avenger tigers left. 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds in a 4 seat car that cost less than £1500 new in 1973 was not a bad deal.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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they were bad cars man..........they are only remembered for the silly paint job and spoiler they were NOT good cars
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they were bad cars man..........they are only remembered for the silly paint job and spoiler they were NOT good cars
I remember them for their awful, awful looks. One of those cars you wouldn't want under nearly any circumstances.
And I do believe they had valve springs that were too strong as well.
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For a 19 year old youth, (as I was at the time) they were ACE...
Alas I fear you have both become SOG's
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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And of course the name Avenger was spectacularly naff.
Ford Murderer. Chevrolet Thug. Honda Assassin. The idiocy of it!
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the Daihatsu Naked;
Honda Life Dunk;
Honda That's;
Isuzu GIGA 20 Light D and mysterious utility
; Mazda Bongo;
Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear and Pistachio;
Nissan Fairlady Z and Prairie Joy;
Rickman Space Ranger;
Rinspeed X-Dream;
Suzuki Cappucino;
Toyota Deliboy and Toyopet;
Volkswagen Thing and Volugrafo Bimbo.
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Blimey oldman,
Did you have a sudden flash of inspiration
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no westpig i kinda borrowed them :-(
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Honda That's
At least they put an apostraphe in !
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I never fancied driving around in a car with "Cherry" written on the back
--
Phil
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I'd rather drive a Cherry than a silvia
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Nova is jiust the Latin word for new (feminine ending). I seem to remember that when the Nova first appeared in the eraly 1980s, the Opel version was called the Corsa, and Vauxhall changed the name for the UK market as it sounded too coarse. They then changed their minds when the next version came.
Vauxhall's mindset is often something of a mystery. Cavalier was a good name for a car, much better than the meaningless Vectra.
The best names are all in the past, like Standard Vanguard and Triumph Renown, which have a terrific ring to them. Triumph Acclaim was a good try, except that in German it comes out as Sieg Heil.
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Fairlady with Nissan and previosly Datsun goes back to about the late 50s and is still used today,off the top of my head i can't think of any other old names still running in Euroland.Oh yes,MINI and Beetle,probably more.
I think Nissan have the best line in daft names that are still current,Cedric,Gloria,Silvia,Leopard,Bluebird,Sylphy and Sunny etc and not forgetting my personal fav from the 70s....Violet ,great name for your granny,inspired for a car.
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But what about things like those big 4x4s the "Trojan" and the "Bighorn"? Those sound like something you might buy from a vending machine in a pub toilet. I wouldn't want a second hand one.
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Toyota Cressida
Isuzu Piazza
Pontiac Aztek (dire name, really dire car)
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B
and not even spelt right. Tchah! Americans.
JH
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Mazda Bongo
JH
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And as I put in the Bongo thread someone I know was put off an Avensis Verso simply because it was distantly related to a Picnic. "I wouldnt be seen dead in car called a "Picnic". Cant imagine the same guy buying a Bongo. Or a Sunny, Carisma etc etc.
Names can be a problem.
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Mazda Bongo JH
Don't forget to include the trim name, giving you the delightful mouthful: Mazda Bongo Friendee.
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I've always loved the way the Italian language makes humdrum phrases sound incredibly sexy.
Quattroporte (four door) - Maserati
Sedicivalvole (Sixteen valve) - Various sporting Fiat models.
I heard an amusing story from a French colleague that the MR2 became a bit of a laughing stock in France as the phonetic spelling of the name in French (me-er-deux) is just a little too similar to the French word "merde" which means poo.
It became known as the Toyota Merde (or Toyota poo)
Cheers
DP
{DP, that's quite enough of testing the site swearfilter. Thankyou. DD}
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So, do you also include names that got twisted too?
i.e
Ford Crapi (capri), Tincorner (cortina), Mondildo (Mondeo) etc?
These may be too coarse for the site? Sory if so !
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Don't forget to include the trim name, giving you the delightful mouthful: Mazda Bongo Friendee.
There's actually one of these (presumably imported from Japan) down the road from me. And yes, it does have the model name emblazoned on the sides....
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I believe although the story may be apocryphal that the Fiat Argenta had its UK launch delayed at the time of the Falklands war.
That said the Galtieri would make a suberb name for one of those pseudo military 4x4s.
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henry k: "Nova (as in Vauxhall Nova) translates as 'won't go' in central America
Really??"
I am only reporting as I found - as you have. However, interestingly enough if you put 'No va' in Bable Fish and translate from Spanish to English the translation is...
'it does not go'
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Does anybody know why Vauxhall's are sold as Opels in the Republic of Ireland?
The same cars are sold as Vauxhall's north of the border.
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Could you imagine the looks you'd get down the local nick reporting some of these as stolen?
"Yes officer someones had my cherry!"
---
Xantia HDi.
Buy a Citroen and get to know the local GSF staff better...
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