Lincoln names: Words out, letters in - Democratic Underground

Redstone

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Mon Jan-02-06 05:05 PM
Original message

Lincoln names: Words out, letters in

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/01/02/lincoln/index.html

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Say goodbye to the Lincoln you could pronounce.

Beginning this fall, Lincoln will join other luxury carmakers in naming its new models with a string of letters instead of actual words, according to a report published in the industry paper Automotive News. The first model to get the switch will be what has up until now been called the Aviator, which will officially be know as the MKX, according to the article.

Company research suggested that Lincoln owners identified more with the specific model rather than with Lincoln as a brand, saying they drove a Town Car or a Navigator, the report said. The branding switch is an attempt to put the emphasis on Lincoln.

Those fucking idiots. I guess they don't remember that the year after Acura threw away the strong, valuable model name Legend, their sales dropped 30 percent the following year.

They gave the same reason as Lincoln is giving now: They were unhappy that people said "I drive a Legend" instead of "I drive an Acura." Pure, pointless ego cost them millions of dollars.

So what's next: Are they going to change the name of Hellman's Mayonnaise to Unilever MSX," do you suppose?

Redstone

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DS1

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Mon Jan-02-06 05:07 PM
Response to Original message

1. Good point

Three letter names are for the young crowd, CRX, RSX, Civic Si, etc etc

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Redstone

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Mon Jan-02-06 05:15 PM
Response to Reply #1

4. Not necessarily. The young crowd loved the

Integra, still love the Civic, and have orgasms over the Skyline.

It's just more marketing crap. It's just plain stupid, any way you look at it.

And Mazda thinks we'll start calling the Miata an MX-5, just because they want us to. Ha. Like that'll happen.

Redstone

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DS1

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Mon Jan-02-06 05:17 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. Without getting into a huge list of names

I'm just going to say I stand by my statement. :-)

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ncrainbowgrrl

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Mon Jan-02-06 06:14 PM
Response to Reply #4

7. I loved the integra. And I still want a Miata.

With the initials thing- I can never remember which one I like best. I'm barely able to remember the model on my new mazda 3. (it's an S)

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Ben Ceremos

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Tue Jan-03-06 03:26 AM
Response to Reply #7

10. Hell, by the time I can afford an Integra

they'll have changed the name to "Viegra"...

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Jackpine Radical

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Tue Jan-03-06 03:34 PM
Response to Reply #4

12. I tend to think of it as the Mazda Miasma. (nt)

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Book Lover

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Mon Jan-02-06 05:11 PM
Response to Original message

2. Boy, the stink of desperation is unpleasant

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Redstone

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Mon Jan-02-06 05:13 PM
Response to Reply #2

3. Isn't it. I give Lincoln and Mercury three more years, max.

Redstone

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PSPS

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Mon Jan-02-06 06:14 PM
Response to Original message

6. It always pays to have an 'X' in a name

Having an 'X' in a name or model always translates to enhanced marketability.

X-Box
WIndows XP
Jaguar XKE
OS X
X-Rated
Harley-Davidson FX and XL series

The list goes on and on.

The same thing applies to the letter 'Z', which is often used to jazz up a name or model.

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Posteritatis

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Tue Jan-03-06 02:55 AM
Response to Reply #6

9. I'm waiting for the -x0r suffix to start showing up... (n/t)

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Orangepeel

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Mon Jan-02-06 06:15 PM
Response to Original message

8. They are trying to make it sound more "high performance"

Edited on Mon Jan-02-06 06:16 PM by orangepeel68

names with letters and numbers sound scientific and high-tech. Lincoln is viewed as old and behind the times and, I assume, the company is hoping this change will help.

It might help Lincoln, even if it didn't help Accura because Accura didn't have the same image problems.

on edit: of course, it probably won't.

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Javaman

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Tue Jan-03-06 03:26 PM
Response to Original message

11. Running backwards as fast as they can...n/t

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priller

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Tue Jan-03-06 03:42 PM
Response to Original message

13. Following the German cars, but not for the same reason

The whole business of using letters and numbers came from trying to mimic the "cachet" of the German luxe brands. But BMW, for example, had very mundane reasons for their naming. Take 328i, for example. That's a 3-series body, with a 2.8 litre fuel-injected engine. Gives you the basic info on the car right there. But that sort of naming has come to denote quality, so they're trying to get some of that luster just by employing the same naming conventions, rather than building with the same quality.

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