We’ve had many threads about stupid car names. I don’t remember one about beautiful car names.
I nominate ’ Phaëton’, which I thought was an early 20th-century luxury car, but turns out to be a style rather than a model (open to the weather, no windshield, thus no longer legal - a predecessor to the convertible) until Volkswagen appropriated the name for a rather ordinary sedan this century.
I dunno about “pretty,” but one of the best names was the Honda/Acura Legend. Perfect advertising to cement the car in people’s minds. And it didn’t hurt that the car itself was pretty wonderful.
I disagree. The VW Phaeton is definitely not ordinary. Have you ever been in one? Have you ever seen one in person? It’s competitors were the Audi A8, BMW 7-Series, the Mercedes Benz S-series, and maybe the big Maserati sedan. Hardly an ordinary list. Its problem was that it had the “VW” attached to it. At least in the USA. It was a hit in Europe, selling for far less than the A8 and quite comparable in performance and quality.
I kind of like Veyron.
Rendezvous is a beautiful name for an ordinary car.
Alfa Romeo Guilietta Veloce Spyder. A beauty of a car, and a great name.
I also like Triumph Spitfire.
Neither was reliable or easy to keep, but then what beautiful named thing is?
I always liked the Honda Prelude as a car name.
Yesterday I was critical of some Hyundai’s names: Equus, Veloster, Tucson.
But I think Elantra has a good sound and positive associations - and is clear in its pronunciation.
I must be big cat oriented, I like lynx tiger and cougar, Do they like gazelle?
Then, you should contemplate this reality:
In the European marketplace, that same model is labeled as the “Lantra”.
Why would the addition of one vowel result in “good sound, positive associations (???), and clear pronunciation” in North America, but on another continent, Hyundai found it necessary to eliminate that vowel?
I personally find “Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce Spyder” far too complicated, a bit long-winded, actually
This comes to mind
I think Chevrolet Corvette is far simpler and thus more beautiful
This comes to mind
No arguments with the NAME Triumph Spitfire. As for the the car itself, I don’t share your opinion
Does Lantra or Elantra sound better and create more positive feelings? Why? Answers will vary. Does the answer to the question depend on ones native language, and many other factors? Probably.
Do manufacturers’ marketing departments pay attention to these things? Yes, they do. That’s one reason why the same product may be sold under a variety of names.
A Phaeton (also Phaéton) was a form of sporty open carriage popular in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Drawn by one or two horses, a phaeton typically featured a minimal very lightly sprung body atop four extravagantly large wheels. With open seating, it was both fast and dangerous, giving rise to its name, drawn from the mythical Phaëton, son of Helios, who nearly set the earth on fire while attempting to drive the chariot of the sun.
(ref: Wikipedia)
This is a phaeton drawn by horses.
The name has been occasionally used by automotive manufacturers to describe specific models
I love the old Ford early-30s phaetons.
The “prettiest name”?
I like the Soul. Perhaps I just like the hamsters.
Oh, by the way, a car that meets the phaeton definition but moved by an engine is perfectly legal… if it can be made to pass rollover and crash requirements.
IMHO the Triumph Spitfire was one of the most fun ragtop roadsters ever made. I almost bought a white one in '75. I fell in love with it… but up here in NH I needed something that would work for the winter too. None of the old ragtop sports cars were good winter cars.
I’ve driven just a good number of ragtop roadsters. A number of MGs, a Fiat 125 Sport Spyder, an MGTF, an X-1/9, a Midget, a Porsche 914, a Datsun 240Z, a TR4, a TR6, a Miata, and a number of others. The Spitfire was one of the absolute best from a pure fun standpoint.
not much of a name, but the mgc gt 6 cyl, I remember shifting into top gear at 120 mph. Bosses car!
Always liked “Impala”
How can a vehicle name be ’ pretty '? I can see the name becoming associated with a certain vehicle or make but pretty, no.
I have never tried Impala, here is what google says! Cook over an extremely hot flaming fire for 3 – 4 minutes per side or until it reaches medium rare?
Yes the Animal car names are cool! Except maybe Lark,
I liked the Acura Vigor. Both the car and the name, never had a chance to buy one.
Nothing wrong with Sonata and Tucson either.
Now I had a Lancia Beta Zagato, that is a strong name!
