CAR NAMES - Studebaker had great model names

[lstude]

IMO, the worst name of any car was the

Daihatsu Charade

But maybe that is what Studebaker should have called the 57-58 Packards!

Leonard Shepherd
http://leonardshepherd.com/

[lstude]

IMO, the worst name of any car was the

Daihatsu Charade

But maybe that is what Studebaker should have called the 57-58 Packards!

Leonard Shepherd
http://leonardshepherd.com/

[8E45E]

quote:Originally posted by Swifster

I think longevity has a lot to do with it. I think the most recognized name is Commander.

I think the Hawk name in general brings more association to Studebaker than Commander. When I tell people I own a Studebaker, they ask if I have a Hawk, or the mention someone that owned one at one time. It is true, the Commander name had a long run, but the Hawks had some real memorable style to them, and got etched on people's memories more than a bread & butter family sedan.

Craig

[8E45E]

quote:Originally posted by Swifster

I think longevity has a lot to do with it. I think the most recognized name is Commander.

I think the Hawk name in general brings more association to Studebaker than Commander. When I tell people I own a Studebaker, they ask if I have a Hawk, or the mention someone that owned one at one time. It is true, the Commander name had a long run, but the Hawks had some real memorable style to them, and got etched on people's memories more than a bread & butter family sedan.

Craig

[Swifster]

quote:Originally posted by bams50

And how about Corvette? I have no idea what that even is, but I like the sound of it!

Definitions of Corvette;

• Smallest of all the three-masted square-rigged sailing ships. Used mainly for reconnaissance also called a 'sloop-of-war'. Armed with 8-20 guns on only one deck.
• A highly maneuverable escort warship; smaller than a destroyer
• A small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, smaller than a frigate

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom - Valrico, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed

[Swifster]

quote:Originally posted by bams50

And how about Corvette? I have no idea what that even is, but I like the sound of it!

Definitions of Corvette;

• Smallest of all the three-masted square-rigged sailing ships. Used mainly for reconnaissance also called a 'sloop-of-war'. Armed with 8-20 guns on only one deck.
• A highly maneuverable escort warship; smaller than a destroyer
• A small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, smaller than a frigate

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom - Valrico, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed

[Studedude1961]

Perhaps if Ford Motors had listened a bit more to Marianne Moore, the poet the company hired to think up new names for the all-new car that became the Edsel, that car might have succeeded. Just think: "The 2007 Mongoose Civique. Have You Driven a Ford...Lately?"

Bams50 made a great point. Comparing Studebaker's model names with the sexier names adopted by the competition is interesting. Ramber model names were equally staid...Ambassador...Classic...yawn. They also had the Rebel (better) and the American (good 'ol USA). Brooks Stevens "Sceptre" would have been a wonderful Studebaker name had the company survived. "Studebaker Sceptre" kind of rolls off the tongue. The worst name for an American car currently in production might be Buick Lucerne. Lucerne was a brand of milk marketed by Safeway in the 1970s!

Studedude1961
--1963 Cruiser

[Studedude1961]

Perhaps if Ford Motors had listened a bit more to Marianne Moore, the poet the company hired to think up new names for the all-new car that became the Edsel, that car might have succeeded. Just think: "The 2007 Mongoose Civique. Have You Driven a Ford...Lately?"

Bams50 made a great point. Comparing Studebaker's model names with the sexier names adopted by the competition is interesting. Ramber model names were equally staid...Ambassador...Classic...yawn. They also had the Rebel (better) and the American (good 'ol USA). Brooks Stevens "Sceptre" would have been a wonderful Studebaker name had the company survived. "Studebaker Sceptre" kind of rolls off the tongue. The worst name for an American car currently in production might be Buick Lucerne. Lucerne was a brand of milk marketed by Safeway in the 1970s!

Studedude1961
--1963 Cruiser

[8E45E]

quote:Originally posted by Studedude1961

Perhaps if Ford Motors had listened a bit more to Marianne Moore, the poet the company hired to think up new names for the all-new car that became the Edsel, that car might have succeeded. Just think: "The 2007 Mongoose Civique. Have You Driven a Ford...Lately?"

Bams50 made a great point. Comparing Studebaker's model names with the sexier names adopted by the competition is interesting. Ramber model names were equally staid...Ambassador...Classic...yawn. They also had the Rebel (better) and the American (good 'ol USA). Brooks Stevens "Sceptre" would have been a wonderful Studebaker name had the company survived. "Studebaker Sceptre" kind of rolls off the tongue. The worst name for an American car currently in production might be Buick Lucerne. Lucerne was a brand of milk marketed by Safeway in the 1970s!

Studedude1961
--1963 Cruiser

Ford has just learned the value of a brand name. As everyone has heard by now, they just renamed the Five Hundred as Taurus.

Interestingly, Ford of Canada used both 'Lucerne' and Sceptre' as model names of the Mercury badged 'Monarch' in the 1950's and '60's.

Craig

[8E45E]

quote:Originally posted by Studedude1961

Perhaps if Ford Motors had listened a bit more to Marianne Moore, the poet the company hired to think up new names for the all-new car that became the Edsel, that car might have succeeded. Just think: "The 2007 Mongoose Civique. Have You Driven a Ford...Lately?"

Bams50 made a great point. Comparing Studebaker's model names with the sexier names adopted by the competition is interesting. Ramber model names were equally staid...Ambassador...Classic...yawn. They also had the Rebel (better) and the American (good 'ol USA). Brooks Stevens "Sceptre" would have been a wonderful Studebaker name had the company survived. "Studebaker Sceptre" kind of rolls off the tongue. The worst name for an American car currently in production might be Buick Lucerne. Lucerne was a brand of milk marketed by Safeway in the 1970s!

Studedude1961
--1963 Cruiser

Ford has just learned the value of a brand name. As everyone has heard by now, they just renamed the Five Hundred as Taurus.

Interestingly, Ford of Canada used both 'Lucerne' and Sceptre' as model names of the Mercury badged 'Monarch' in the 1950's and '60's.

Craig

[JBOYLE]

quote:Originally posted by lstude
The most confusing name IMO, was Custom. It was the low end model in 50-52, Leonard Shepherd
http://leonardshepherd.com/

In the late 60s...Ford did the same thing.
The stripped Galaxie 500 was the Custom 500.
The LTD was the top of the line model (Galaxie 500 LTD) but by 68, it was just LTD..a Galaxie body with hidden headlights and better trim.

63 Avanti R1 2788
1914 Stutz Bearcat
(George Barris replica)

Washington State

[JBOYLE]

quote:Originally posted by lstude
The most confusing name IMO, was Custom. It was the low end model in 50-52, Leonard Shepherd
http://leonardshepherd.com/

In the late 60s...Ford did the same thing.
The stripped Galaxie 500 was the Custom 500.
The LTD was the top of the line model (Galaxie 500 LTD) but by 68, it was just LTD..a Galaxie body with hidden headlights and better trim.

63 Avanti R1 2788
1914 Stutz Bearcat
(George Barris replica)

Washington State

[Studedude1961]

Ford renaming the 500 "Taurus" is another bone-headed move by the folks in Dearborn. "Taurus" is synonymous with "rental car" now, no longer jelly-bean cutting edge. GALAXIE 500 might have been a wiser choice. Studebaker sorta tried the same thing in 1964, trying to get away from the Lark name by reintroducing the Commander nameplate and marketing the lowly Standard as the Challenger (good name). The Challenger went on to grace Dodge products by decade's end. I doubt any other manufacturer will ever pick up the name "Taurus" should Ford decide to again discard it.

Studedude1961
--1963 Cruiser

[Studedude1961]

Ford renaming the 500 "Taurus" is another bone-headed move by the folks in Dearborn. "Taurus" is synonymous with "rental car" now, no longer jelly-bean cutting edge. GALAXIE 500 might have been a wiser choice. Studebaker sorta tried the same thing in 1964, trying to get away from the Lark name by reintroducing the Commander nameplate and marketing the lowly Standard as the Challenger (good name). The Challenger went on to grace Dodge products by decade's end. I doubt any other manufacturer will ever pick up the name "Taurus" should Ford decide to again discard it.

Studedude1961
--1963 Cruiser

[Mark57]

Gee... read through all the posts on this topic and saw no mention of great [u]TRUCK</u> names - Transtar,[8D] Scotsman (appropriate for the time, but not PC these days[}]) and Champ[8D]... recalling that Transtar was so good it was picked up by the competition after Studebaker quit making them[:0]. 'Course, I might be a bit biased.

Mark
57 Transtar