That's what I've been wondering...whether this is a hoax or veriable by more than one source.
Doesn't Mercedes-Benz already have names for its vehicles? Viano, Vito, Vaneo, Vario, Sprinter, Actros, Axor, Atego, Econic...they're for vans, commerical vans, trucks, busses, etc.
Seeing Mercedes-Benz cars with names makes me shrug. I can't imagine how unprestigious those names would sound for passenger cars.
Oliver
Karl wrote:
Mercedes to follow VW lead
Mercedes, in a surprise move, has decided to follow VW's lead in an area where European auto makers have a decided disadvantage. The issue is model designations.
For years, European companies except VW have designated models with meaningless combinations of letters and numbers. Meanwhile, Asian companies followed the American lead of designating models with descriptive and inspiring names.
VW fell into the practice quite by accident, when the public dubbed its Type 1 "The Beetle". Putting aside false pride, VW followed up with descriptive and inspiring names for its products such as "Squareback Sedan", "Vanagan", and "The Thing".
However, Mercedes and other European companies failed to act. When the Asians followed US practice of naming models, they quickly reserved the remaining good names. Names like Legend, Legacy, Maxima, and Altima would be perfect for Mercedes models, but Mercedes realized the importance too late.
But since names are registered with the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association, Mercedes now has an ample supply of good names. With the acquisition of Chrysler, it now has rights to all names previously used by Chrysler, Dodge, and even AMC and Hudson.
The E Class could easily become Satelite or Diplomat. The C Class might be named Valiant or Metropolitan. Gremlin is a natural for the SLK.
Descriptive and inspiring names are the key to Mercedes prevailing over other European auto makers. Mercedes Windsor is regally inspiring. In contrast, 9-3 and 323i sound like manufacturing date codes on packages of condoms.
Date codes maybe, but such codes can also give some a piece of mind that they aren't going to be screwed (at least with any lasting consequences...)
Gremlin in a Merc? That's more applicable to a version (all versions?) of MS Windows..
Diplomat was the name of the range-topping GM Opel.
The S-, E-, CLKs of this world live!
DAS
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In the good old days atleast, model numbers for Mercedes and bmw's represented their engine capacity aswell.
Atleast you can still laugh at the wanks driving their BMW 318i's thinking their cool with there base model pov pack.
consequences...)
There was a Dodge Diplomat for a while. The posibilities are endless. Imagine some of the Stuttgart output being labeled such things as Hudson Hornet, Plymouth Belvedere, LeBaron, Imperial, Dart, Fury, Fury II, Fury III, Desoto, Rambler, Nash, Aspen, RoadRunner, Baracuda, Pacer, Eagle, . . .
As all old-car afficianados cringe . . . It's bad enough with New Thunder(bi)rd vs old Thunderbird. At least Ford hasn't come out with a new Model T yet, though they did make some replica 1914 models for the centennial
Charles in Palatine
And the American (motors) Embassador. I'll never forget site of that fat ass car with the chrome-script "American" on the side trying to weasle down a small alley in France. Like a scene from Felinni or something.
And you can substantiate this info how?
This author is ignorant of what he is writing about. Automakers typically use different names in different markets for the same car. Mazda 626 in the USA, was the Cosmo in Japan if I remember right. Various VWs had names in the USA but often had different names in europe. Aston Martins have names, Ferraris have names and numbers, some US made cars in the US market have numbers. There is no consistancy.
In the U.S. market, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Acura, Audi, Infiniti, Jaguar (and probably more in the same class) use a combination of letters and numbers for their model designations. Lexuses (Lexii?) are actually Toyotas with names in Japan, but they change it for the U.S. So it's no coincidence that the naming conventions of these Luxury cars are as they are. Look at Hyundai, they're trying so hard to make "luxury" cars that even they've adopted this naming convention.
Giving these luxury car manufacturers' different models regular names would take away from the effect. It would almost sound silly. I seriously doubt Mercedes is even considering such a thing (at least for the US anyway).
btw, the "meaningless combinations of letters and numbers" aren't really meaningless:
600 > 500 > 430 > 320 > 280 > 220 etc. 430 > 400 > 330 > 300 > 250 etc. 330 > 328 > 325 > 323 > 318 etc. A8 > A6 > A4 etc.Point made.
You guys have all been taken in again.
"Comments for you" is fundamentally an idiot who likes trolling the MB NG. I think he's a Toyota/Lexus shill.
h
Speaking of car names, does anyone remember that old story going around about the Chevy Nova. It was said that General Motors could not figure out why it was not selling well in Spanish speaking countries. The Urban Legend was that Nova meant No Go in those countries, so nobody was buying the car. Here is a link to the story.
The Cronos, and it was the 626 Cronos in Canada. The Cosmo name has been applied to various 2-door sports Mazdas over the years. Some of them were sold in North America in the early '70s.
Jetta vs. Bora, Rabbit vs. Golf...
DS
Yep. The only lead "American's" care about is the lead of other Asian venders that have figured out how to make reliable and durable vehicles for a reasonable price. DaimlerChrysler has come a long way, but it still has a few hills to climb.
Richard.
"Comments4u" wrote his usual semi-plausible and entertaining comment.
Suckered more this time than usual ;-)
Huw
The only important Mercedes already has a name.
Unimog.
Nothing else really matters.
Actros matters.
DAS
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