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Originally posted by n2_space: I can't believe no one has said Aztek yet!  Easy one: it is the perfect name for a "car" that looks like it came out of the 14th century and goes like it is made of 4 ton granite blocks ..jj
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egads, how could I forget. My vote for the all time worst would be a tie between the Saab 9-3 and Saab 9-5. I don't even know how to pronounce them. Is it "nine three" or "nine dash three" or "nine to three" like a ball score?
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I think thats just an urban myth. Obviously there were some Spanish speaking people in Latin America who would have pointed out to GM that No Va would be literally translated as "doesn't go" in Spanish. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by SVT Pete No, it's not a myth - I've studied that case in several business, advertising, and marketing classes. ================================================== "This anecdote is frequently used to illustrate the perils of failing to do adequate preparation and research before introducing a product into the international marketplace. It's a wicked irony, then, that the people who use this example are engaging in the very thing they're decrying, because a little preparation and research would have informed them that it isn't true. (The sources that repeat this little tale can't even agree on where the Nova supposedly sold poorly, variously listing locales such as Puerto Rico, Mexico, South America, or simply "Spanish-speaking countries.")" "Between 1972 and 1978 the Chevrolet Nova was also sold in Mexico and several other Spanish-speaking countries, primarily Venezuela. Shortly afterwards the great "Nova" legend arose, a legend which a little linguistic analysis shows it to be improbable:" "First of all, the phrase "no va" (literally "doesn't go") and the word "nova" are distinct entities with different pronunciations in Spanish: the former is two words and is pronounced with the accent on the second word; the latter is one word with the accent on the first syllable. Assuming that Spanish speakers would naturally see the word "nova" as equivalent to the phrase "no va" and think "Hey, this car doesn't go!" is akin to assuming that English speakers woud spurn a dinette set sold under the name Notable because nobody wants a dinette set that doesn't include a table." "Although "no va" can be literally translated as "no go," it would be a curious locution for a speaker of Spanish to use in reference to a car. Just as an English speaker would describe a broken-down car by saying that it "doesn't run" rather than it "doesn't go," so a Spanish speaker would refer to a malfunctioning automobile by saying "no marcha" or "no funciona" or "no camina" rather than "no va."" "Pemex (the Mexican government-owned oil monopoly) sold (and still sells) gasoline in Mexico under the name "Nova." If Mexicans were going to associate anything with the Chevrolet Nova based on its name, it would probably be this gasoline. In any case, if Mexicans had no compunctions about filling the tanks of their cars with a type of gasoline whose name advertised that it "didn't go," why would they reject a similarly-named automobile?" "This legend assumes that a handful of General Motors executives launched a car into a foreign market and remained in blissful ignorance about a possible adverse translation of its name. Even if nobody in Detroit knew enough rudimentary Spanish to notice the coincidence, the Nova could not have brought to market in Mexico and/or South America without the involvement of numerous Spanish speakers engaged to translate user manuals, prepare advertising and promotional materials, communicate with the network of Chevrolet dealers in the target countries, etc. In fact, GM was aware of the translation and opted to retain the model name "Nova" in Spanish-speaking markets anyway, because they (correctly) felt the matter to be unimportant. The truth is that the Chevrolet Nova's name didn't significantly affect its sales: it sold well in both its primary Spanish-language markets, Mexico and Venezuela. (Its Venezuelan sales figures actually surpassed GM's expectations.) The whole "Nova = "doesn't go" tale was merely another in a long line of automotive jokes, like the ones about "Ford" being an acronym for "Fix or repair daily" or "Found on road dead" or "Fiat" being an acronym for "Fix it again, Tony!" These humorous inventions might adequately reflect the tellers' feelings about the worthiness of various types of automobiles, but we don't really expect that anyone ever refrained from buying a Ford because he actually believed they needed to be repaired on a daily basis." "The Chevy Nova legend lives on in countless marketing textbooks, is repeated in numerous business seminars, and is a staple of newspaper and magazine columnists who need a pithy example of human folly. Perhaps someday this apocryphal tale will become what it should be: an illustration of how easily even "experts" can sometimes fall victim to the very same dangers they warn us about." The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.htm Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2002 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson
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Originally posted by 96RedSE5Sp:
egads, how could I forget. My vote for the all time worst would be a tie between the Saab 9-3 and Saab 9-5. I don't even know how to pronounce them. Is it "nine three" or "nine dash three" or "nine to three" like a ball score? Saab Nine Three Saab Nine Five
Matthew
98.5 Contour SE V6
It has spent 1.5 years under the wrong identity ;-)
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X-Type
S-Type
Jaguars are beautiful cars, but why not put a little more thought into those fellas?
If GM followed their lead, they'd have been the Chevrolet F-Body, G-Body.........lol
Jim
98 EO CSVT #761
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With the exception of the Gremlin, I don't think any of the other names are really bad. Of course, in my opinion, a car's name means nothing to me... it's the car itself that matters... the one I dislike though...
Oldsmobile Achieva (false advertising)
Also, FWIW, the Turnpike Cruiser was a Mercury. The Oldsmobiles were based on platform and number of cylinders long ago... so 88 was Platform 8, 8 cylinders.
The middle Daewoo is the Nubira. Although I wonder where they got their names, it doesn't bother me any.
Names I would like to see in a line of cars...
Surpass
Tethys
Crusade (my fave, even have an ad campaign for that one)
You can pillage an enemy once, but a customer is an endless resource.
James Oerichbauer - PFPC Global Fund Services
Ross: 1998 E0 SVT Contour, Toreador Red, Konis, Superchip, KKM w/heat shield, SHO-shop y-pipe and rear strut brace, no res, ScotchCal, Moda Sport 16x7.5 wheels with 205/55ZR16 Dayton Dayton tires... more
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Originally posted by SVT ST PETE: Originally posted by 96RedSE5Sp: [b] Originally posted by EdwardC:
[b][QUOTE]2. Chevy Nova - When GM decided to market this car in Latin America during the 1970's, they obviously never did their homework. The name NOVA was interpretated by the buying public as "No va" meaning that it doesn't run. Would you buy a car model called "It doesn't run"? I think thats just an urban myth. Obviously there were some Spanish speaking people in Latin America who would have pointed out to GM that No Va would be literally translated as "doesn't go" in Spanish.[/b]
How about:
Duster
Pinto
Golf
Prius
And all these cars that are just numbers/letters, come on - a little imagination please BMW, Audi, Lexus, Jaguar, Mercedes, and Volvo. :rolleyes: At least some manufacturers add a name after a number - Ferarri 360 Modena, Porsche 911 Carrera, etc.[/b]Ever heard of the Alfa Romeo 168? This relates to the whole Chevy Nova thing. When Alfa Romeo released the 164 worldwide back in 1989 they soon learned that the car was not selling well in Asian markets because in numerology(sp?) the sequence 1-6-4 means death or bad fortune! Therefore buying the car was bad luck. Alfa Romeo changed the name for Asian markets to 168 which meant prosperity or good luck.
P. Valdez 1998 VW Jetta TDI 1.9L I4 direct injection turbo diesel 5 speed manual no mods, no money AIM:PackRatTDI My exhaust smells better than yours.
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96RedSE5Sp writes: I think thats just an urban myth. Obviously there were some Spanish speaking people in Latin America who would have pointed out to GM that No Va would be literally translated as "doesn't go" in Spanish. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by SVT Pete No, it's not a myth - I've studied that case in several business, advertising, and marketing classes. ================================================== "This anecdote is frequently used to illustrate the perils of failing to do adequate preparation and research before introducing a product into the international marketplace. It's a wicked irony, then, that the people who use this example are engaging in the very thing they're decrying, because a little preparation and research would have informed them that it isn't true. (The sources that repeat this little tale can't even agree on where the Nova supposedly sold poorly, variously listing locales such as Puerto Rico, Mexico, South America, or simply "Spanish-speaking countries.")" "Between 1972 and 1978 the Chevrolet Nova was also sold in Mexico and several other Spanish-speaking countries, primarily Venezuela. Shortly afterwards the great "Nova" legend arose, a legend which a little linguistic analysis shows it to be improbable:" "First of all, the phrase "no va" (literally "doesn't go") and the word "nova" are distinct entities with different pronunciations in Spanish: the former is two words and is pronounced with the accent on the second word; the latter is one word with the accent on the first syllable. Assuming that Spanish speakers would naturally see the word "nova" as equivalent to the phrase "no va" and think "Hey, this car doesn't go!" is akin to assuming that English speakers woud spurn a dinette set sold under the name Notable because nobody wants a dinette set that doesn't include a table." "Although "no va" can be literally translated as "no go," it would be a curious locution for a speaker of Spanish to use in reference to a car. Just as an English speaker would describe a broken-down car by saying that it "doesn't run" rather than it "doesn't go," so a Spanish speaker would refer to a malfunctioning automobile by saying "no marcha" or "no funciona" or "no camina" rather than "no va."" "Pemex (the Mexican government-owned oil monopoly) sold (and still sells) gasoline in Mexico under the name "Nova." If Mexicans were going to associate anything with the Chevrolet Nova based on its name, it would probably be this gasoline. In any case, if Mexicans had no compunctions about filling the tanks of their cars with a type of gasoline whose name advertised that it "didn't go," why would they reject a similarly-named automobile?" "This legend assumes that a handful of General Motors executives launched a car into a foreign market and remained in blissful ignorance about a possible adverse translation of its name. Even if nobody in Detroit knew enough rudimentary Spanish to notice the coincidence, the Nova could not have brought to market in Mexico and/or South America without the involvement of numerous Spanish speakers engaged to translate user manuals, prepare advertising and promotional materials, communicate with the network of Chevrolet dealers in the target countries, etc. In fact, GM was aware of the translation and opted to retain the model name "Nova" in Spanish-speaking markets anyway, because they (correctly) felt the matter to be unimportant. The truth is that the Chevrolet Nova's name didn't significantly affect its sales: it sold well in both its primary Spanish-language markets, Mexico and Venezuela. (Its Venezuelan sales figures actually surpassed GM's expectations.) The whole "Nova = "doesn't go" tale was merely another in a long line of automotive jokes, like the ones about "Ford" being an acronym for "Fix or repair daily" or "Found on road dead" or "Fiat" being an acronym for "Fix it again, Tony!" These humorous inventions might adequately reflect the tellers' feelings about the worthiness of various types of automobiles, but we don't really expect that anyone ever refrained from buying a Ford because he actually believed they needed to be repaired on a daily basis." "The Chevy Nova legend lives on in countless marketing textbooks, is repeated in numerous business seminars, and is a staple of newspaper and magazine columnists who need a pithy example of human folly. Perhaps someday this apocryphal tale will become what it should be: an illustration of how easily even "experts" can sometimes fall victim to the very same dangers they warn us about." The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.htm Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2002 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson That is all fine and dandy except that I had the opportunity of watching a Chevrolet commercial put together by a local dealer in Ponce circa 1974 shown on Puerto Rican television promoting the Nova while using the tounge-in-cheek catch phrase: Nova pero sale - literally, no go (No va) but it will leave (pero sale). This catch phrase would not have even made sense if there had never been any misgivings concerning the Nova name by the buying public and local (to Puerto Rico) dealers.
Move only if there is a real advantage to be gained...when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. -Sun Tzu, The Art of War '98 SVT E0 Superchip Y-pipe KKM filter custom 2.5 cat back exhaust UDP linux fish
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Ford's Probe. Sounds ummm...painful.
Dan Parmelee
1999 Acura Integra SiR-G coupe
"I heard Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms"
"Word, bitch! Phantoms like a muhfuka"
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Chevy NOVA. NO-VA means NO GO in Spanish.
stock 1998 silver frost SVT E0
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