A thread I started got me thinking about vehicle names

[rubbersidedown]

One of the members pointed out that my car...an' Acura RSX in know in the US as an' Intengra.
Got me thinking why so many names for the same vehicle. I'm thinking that some folks like Japanese,some don't.
IE: If you like Japanese you buy a Toyata Matrix...want North American you buy a Pontiac Vibe. Same car.
The extra ad costs,badge changes,paper work,etc must be huge and costly.
Lots of examples of this happened(ing) in the vehicle world.
There is one that stands out the most for me anyway,because I used to own one.
Bought for a wife...a Chevy Tracker. aka GMC Tracker, aka Suzuki Sidekick, aka Asuna Sunrunner, aka GEO Tracker, aka Suzuki X-90, aka Suzuki Vitara, aka Suzuki Escudo ...blah blah blah. Is it not costly too alter a few things like paint color,badges,etc.
Why do they do it? Ideas?
Rubb.
And yes,I have way too much Covid-Free time on my hands. Will ride after my coffee...

 

[RedBull]

Ãœber Cool Automobile | Random Thoughts

I just about died laughing at this (and the guy, buts another story for another day) today! :rofl::rofl: "Two Canadian Tire Peel'n Stick ports looks good, should look even better with 25 more..." :lol: Man, some people just have no sense of style nor taste. At. All. I don't care what...

www.hayabusa.org

 

[Bumblebee]

One of the members pointed out that my car...an' Acura RSX in know in the US as an' Intengra.
Got me thinking why so many names for the same vehicle. I'm thinking that some folks like Japanese,some don't.
IE: If you like Japanese you buy a Toyata Matrix...want North American you buy a Pontiac Vibe. Same car.
The extra ad costs,badge changes,paper work,etc must be huge and costly.
Lots of examples of this happened(ing) in the vehicle world.
There is one that stands out the most for me anyway,because I used to own one.
Bought for a wife...a Chevy Tracker. aka GMC Tracker, aka Suzuki Sidekick, aka Asuna Sunrunner, aka GEO Tracker, aka Suzuki X-90, aka Suzuki Vitara, aka Suzuki Escudo ...blah blah blah. Is it not costly too alter a few things like paint color,badges,etc.
Why do they do it? Ideas?
Rubb.
And yes,I have way too much Covid-Free time on my hands. Will ride after my coffee...

Sales, it's all about money...They make the same car and have different names to go out to a broader market.

Toyota, and GM, Suzuki and GM, Honda and Acura, Mitsubishi and Chrysler, Ford and Mazda all did the same thing.
I have read the secondary vehicle such as the Tracker vice Sidekick...the tracker wasn't as well made same as many of the secondary made vehicles...

Kind of how John Deere makes lawn tractors for the big box stores and for their own dealerships...the big box stores get a genuine John Deere but it's made cheaply in a different factory. The dealerships get certain tractor models you can't get at a box store.

Same kind of idea with vehicles.

 

[Dopey]

One of the members pointed out that my car...an' Acura RSX in know in the US as an' Intengra.
Got me thinking why so many names for the same vehicle. I'm thinking that some folks like Japanese,some don't.
IE: If you like Japanese you buy a Toyata Matrix...want North American you buy a Pontiac Vibe. Same car.
The extra ad costs,badge changes,paper work,etc must be huge and costly.
Lots of examples of this happened(ing) in the vehicle world.
There is one that stands out the most for me anyway,because I used to own one.
Bought for a wife...a Chevy Tracker. aka GMC Tracker, aka Suzuki Sidekick, aka Asuna Sunrunner, aka GEO Tracker, aka Suzuki X-90, aka Suzuki Vitara, aka Suzuki Escudo ...blah blah blah. Is it not costly too alter a few things like paint color,badges,etc.
Why do they do it? Ideas?
Rubb.
And yes,I have way too much Covid-Free time on my hands. Will ride after my coffee...

Your car was sold here as an rsx as well, I knew a few people with them. But I've wondered the same thing when I see some cars across the pond that are the same as we have here only with a different name. Oh boy me and rubb thinking the same now im a little worried . Time to hit thre drive thru covid testing cause I must be sick

 

[rubbersidedown]

Your car was sold here as an rsx as well, I knew a few people with them. But I've wondered the same thing when I see some cars across the pond that are the same as we have here only with a different name. Oh boy me and rubb thinking the same now im a little worried . Time to hit thre drive thru covid testing cause I must be sick

Funny bastid eh....
Rubb.

 

[Red05]

Save a butt load tooling and as you touched on, attend to people's loyalties. GM started it in the 70's, for example the X body Chevy Nova, Pontiac Ventura, Olds Omega and Buick Apollo; all basically the same vehicle. At least back then the Buick and Olds at least had slightly different sheet metal and for a couple years even different engines.

 

[rubbersidedown]

Save a butt load tooling and as you touched on, attend to people's loyalties. GM started it in the 70's, for example the X body Chevy Nova, Pontiac Ventura, Olds Omega and Buick Apollo; all basically the same vehicle. At least back then the Buick and Olds at least had slightly different sheet metal and for a couple years even different engines.

Chevy Camaro=Pontiac Firebird
Rubb.

 

[Hayabusa Wannabe]

Did I just miss it, or how could you guys leave out the gorgeous K Car platform?

 

[Bumblebee]

Chevy Camaro=Pontiac Firebird
Rubb.

Challenger-Cuda was another....there were quite a few more out there in them thar days....

Just like @Hayabusa Wannabe said, that K Car platform was the basis of half the Chrysler fleet of the '80s, early '90s.

 

[michael parris heuberger]

Save a butt load tooling and as you touched on, attend to people's loyalties. GM started it in the 70's, for example the X body Chevy Nova, Pontiac Ventura, Olds Omega and Buick Apollo; all basically the same vehicle. At least back then the Buick and Olds at least had slightly different sheet metal and for a couple years even different engines.

Hi. Did you see Chev Nova Olds Omega Pontiac Ventura Buick Apolla The names spell NOVA.

 

[Cantab]

One of the members pointed out that my car...an' Acura RSX in know in the US as an' Intengra.
Got me thinking why so many names for the same vehicle. I'm thinking that some folks like Japanese,some don't.
IE: If you like Japanese you buy a Toyata Matrix...want North American you buy a Pontiac Vibe. Same car.
The extra ad costs,badge changes,paper work,etc must be huge and costly.
Lots of examples of this happened(ing) in the vehicle world.
There is one that stands out the most for me anyway,because I used to own one.
Bought for a wife...a Chevy Tracker. aka GMC Tracker, aka Suzuki Sidekick, aka Asuna Sunrunner, aka GEO Tracker, aka Suzuki X-90, aka Suzuki Vitara, aka Suzuki Escudo ...blah blah blah. Is it not costly too alter a few things like paint color,badges,etc.
Why do they do it? Ideas?
Rubb.
And yes,I have way too much Covid-Free time on my hands. Will ride after my coffee...

Wow a Chev Tracker to Suzuki Escudo or Toyota Matrix (Corolla) to Pontiac Vibe thats some distance in naming, i think you're right Rubb, some people north of me and just south of you cant get their heads around not buying a 'local' made car, a familiar name to them makes em feel better that they're buying something made in their country...
North America is a huge market to tap into for car manufacturers so an English sorta sounding name is worth the cost it to them.

 

[Cantab]

Kind of how John Deere makes lawn tractors for the big box stores and for their own dealerships...the big box stores get a genuine John Deere but it's made cheaply in a different factory. The dealerships get certain tractor models you can't get at a box store.

A tiny bit like 'S' model bikes that have Ohlins, except that those Ohlins are a cheap version of what they make, Brembo to ? !

 

[rubbersidedown]

Hi. Did you see Chev Nova Olds Omega Pontiac Ventura Buick Apolla The names spell NOVA.

Coincidence...

 

[michael parris heuberger]

Coincidence...View attachment 1618738

Hi. Rubb I do not think so the Nova came 1st.

 

[Dopey]

Did I just miss it, or how could you guys leave out the gorgeous K Car platform?

My winter beater is an 86 celebrity, same thing as the Pontiac 6000 and oldsmobile cutlass calasis I think it was. The Pontiac and oldsmobile had a few more bells and whistles tho. Owned a few k cars over the years my favorite was the drop top reliant

 

[rubbersidedown]

My winter beater is an 86 celebrity, same thing as the Pontiac 6000 and oldsmobile cutlass calasis I think it was. The Pontiac and oldsmobile had a few more bells and whistles tho. Owned a few k cars over the years my favorite was the drop top reliant

Don't mess with me here Dopey...please,please tell me you got the one with the fake wood paneling (The Woody) Rubb.

 

[hayabuser]

Challenger-Cuda was another....there were quite a few more out there in them thar days....

Just like @Hayabusa Wannabe said, that K Car platform was the basis of half the Chrysler fleet of the '80s, early '90s.

70-74 Cuda and Challenger had many differences despite both "sharing" the e-body platform. Most notably, the Challenger's wheelbase was 110" while the Barracuda's was only 108". They weren't just re-badged and restyled versions of each other like the Camaro-bird of the time.

Back to Rubb's quandary. You'll find that some cars change their names due to the local dialect of the intended market. Take the Buick Lacrosse (please!)... it couldn't be sold as the Lacrosse in Quebec as that is a French slang term for masturbation...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/gm-faces-car-name-conundrum-1.775246

I'm sure that's an extreme example but not an isolated case.

 

[hayabuser]

Hi. Did you see Chev Nova Olds Omega Pontiac Ventura Buick Apolla The names spell NOVA.

Another popular example, albeit a false one. The NOVA had to be renamed for the Mexican market because "No Va" means "Doesn't Go" in Spanish.

This never actually happened though, there was even a gas station in Mexico that utilized the NOVA name but it's a great story nonetheless.

 

[Dopey]

Don't mess with me here Dopey...please,please tell me you got the one with the fake wood paneling (The Woody) Rubb.
View attachment 1618741

I wish...I just got the base model 4 door and definitely doesn't look anywhere near that nice

 

[Bumblebee]

70-74 Cuda and Challenger had many differences despite both "sharing" the e-body platform. Most notably, the Challenger's wheelbase was 110" while the Barracuda's was only 108". They weren't just re-badged and restyled versions of each other like the Camaro-bird of the time.

Don't know, just saw the reference to the two being running mates on "Graveyard Cars" The guy on there seemed to be a walking encyclopedia on Mopar. Both are E bodies but the sheet metal is a bit different same as the Cougar and Mustang were.