Saturday, June 11, 2016
Oh, now I see.
Returning to car names....
After carmakers broke out of simple enumeration, most model names tried to evoke high status or superiority. Some were just adjectives like Deluxe or Custom or Royal. Many were high-status places like Cambridge or Daytona or Malibu or Bel Air. Many were fierce animals: Cougar, Mustang, Wildcat. Some denoted a warlike spirit: Corsair, Cherokee, Invicta. Some were verbs denoting the car's ability to take you into higher status: Charger, Challenger, Wayfarer, Land Cruiser.
Only one model (that I can think of) got right down to the nitty-gritty of status at the NEURAL level. The Olds Delta 88. Status is always a DELTA, a perceived increase from current situation or a perceived superiority over the neighbor.
Why haven't the marketers explored the status of anatomy? Hyundai Hyoid. Cadillac Corpus Callosum. Buick Biceps. Toyota Trapezius. Renault Rectum.
Oh. I guess the question answers itself. Sorry.
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Graphic sidenote: The car in my cartoon is a generic '80s Olds, which was after they stopped using the Delta 88 name... but at least it's an Olds. Ordinary sedan-type cars are hard to find in digital models, just as they're hard to find in plastic. Modelmakers prefer dramatic cars with ACTUAL status.
Why haven't the marketers explored the status of anatomy? Hyundai Hyoid. Cadillac Corpus Callosum. Buick Biceps. Toyota Trapezius. Renault Rectum.
Oh. I guess the question answers itself. Sorry.
= = = = =
Graphic sidenote: The car in my cartoon is a generic '80s Olds, which was after they stopped using the Delta 88 name... but at least it's an Olds. Ordinary sedan-type cars are hard to find in digital models, just as they're hard to find in plastic. Modelmakers prefer dramatic cars with ACTUAL status.Labels: Asked and answered
¶ 4:54 AM
