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1. Edsel= Failure
The Ford Edsel has become a metaphor for commercial marketing failure. It was manufactured from 1958 til 1960. The failure of the Edsel brand is attributed to a combination of factors: an overhyped premiere, the perceived high price, an economic recession in 1957, ambiguous consumer targeting, the consumer shift toward smaller, fuel-efficient cars, and the perception of the car and its name as “ugly.” Future Secretary of Defense Robert McNamera, a Ford executive at the time, changed the Edsel design and slashed its advertising budget, eventually burying the program. Due to its commercial failure, the Edsel was perceived for a time as a “lemon”, but the car was as well-built as its contemporaries at Ford. The brand lost money, the equivalent of $2 billion in today’s dollars, but the Edsel didn’t damage Ford’s overall profits.
2. Corvair=Unsafe
The Chevrolet Corvair was produced from 1960 to 1969, in response to the public’s demand for smaller cars (the demand that helped derail the Edsel). The car (avialable in several models) was a sales success, selling over 200,000 units its first few years. In 1965, a little-known consumer advocate named Ralph Nader published a book entitled Unsafe at Any Speed. The book charged the American automobile industry with active resistance to the incorporation of safety features in cars, such as seat belts. The Corvair was only mentioned in one chapter of the book, but its reputation and sales slumped as a result. GM improved its design after the book was published, but also investigated and harassed Nader, who later sued. Only 6.000 Corvairs were produced for 1969, the last model year.
In what may be the automotive industry’s greatest irony, NHTSA, the federal agency created from Nader’s “consumer advocacy,” investigated the Corvair and issued a report in 1971 clearing the car’s design, two years after the car went out of production.
3. Pinto=Volatile
The Ford Pinto had a tendency to explode. Forbes Magazine included it in their list of the Worst Cars of All Time. Two million Pintos were sold between 1971 and 1980, and 27 people died when the gas tanks ignited in rear-end collisions. The magazine Mother Jones wrote an expose on the Pinto in 1977. The real scandal stemmed from the Pinto Memo, which calculated the cost of fixing the known design problems in the fuel tank area at $121 million, versus the cost of projected lawsuits, estimated at $50 million. The Pinto’s reputation became so bad that it is used in pop culture as a reference for something ready to explode. In the movie Speed, Sandra Bullock’s character was asked if she could drive a bus filled with explosives. She replied, “Oh sure, it’s just like driving a really big Pinto.”
4. DeLorean=Overhyped
The DeLorean has such a wild story that it became more than one metaphor. Built from 1981 to 1983, it was the dream project of John Z. DeLorean. A Detroit native and engineer and executive at GM, DeLorean founded the DeLorean Motor Company with the help of high-profile investors and huge financial incentives to build his factory in Northern Ireland. Only 3,000 of the strange-looking and expensive cars sold the first year, nowhere near DeLorean’s projections. Trying to pull the company out of British government receivership, DeLorean became involved in a cocaine-smuggling scheme and was arrested in 1982. He was eventually found not guilty due to entrapment, but the damage to his reputation, and to his car, was already done.
The car starred in the Back to the Future movies as a time machine. The DeLorean was chosen because it looks like a UFO. In the first film, Doc said he used it because it was stylish, but Marty was puzzled at the choice because the car was a commercial flop. Around 6,000 DeLorean models survive today, and you can get one for less than its 1981 selling price of $26,000. Parts are hard to find.
Update: Two sources of DeLorean parts (from the comments) are DeLorean Motor Company (Texas) and DeLorean Car Show.
5. Yugo=Shoddy
The Yugo was sold in the United States from 1984 to 1992. Priced under $4,000 at its US debut, the car sold very well until UN sanctions against Yugoslavia forced the end of the import program. The Yugos manufactured for export to the US had higher standards than those for domestic use, but the Yugo still gained a reputation for shoddy construction and unreliability, earning Car Talk’s Worst Car of the Millenium survey. The Yugo is still sold today in the former Yugoslavia under its European name, Zastava Koral.
Could you suggest other cars that could be metaphors?
Comments (76)
Comment
Overheard at a car parts shop, circa 1987:
Customer: Could I get a gas cap for my Yugo?
Salesperson: Sounds like a fair trade to me.
posted by pica on 7-12-2007 at 7:52 am
What about Cadillac as a metaphor for “top of the line”? Perhaps not as often these days, just a few years ago it was common to hear someone speak of a product as “The Cadillac of …”
posted by Zac on 7-12-2007 at 8:40 am
I always associated those distinct cars, called Things, with safaris and internationalism. Mostly driven by college students and considered a step up from VWs
posted by Johnny Cat on 7-12-2007 at 9:28 am
Beemer = Yuppie?
posted by GoingLikeSixty on 7-12-2007 at 9:59 am
Mustang = trendy consumerist success
posted by Andy in Seattle on 7-12-2007 at 10:53 am
Delorean? Parts are hard to find? are you kidding me? Someone hasn’t been to www.delorean.com at all, have they?
Also, tell me of any other car where over 25 years later, that more than 70% of them are still roadworthy.
posted by Jeff on 7-12-2007 at 11:00 am
Cadilla, Beemer, yes, very much metaphors that I didn’t think of because I concentrated on “flash in the pan” news of the past. Those are still around because of the quality they represent!
I remember the VW “Thing” barely.. I’ll have to go look up a picture!
posted by Miss Cellania on 7-12-2007 at 11:04 am
VW Buses became a metaphor for Hippie Culture.
posted by Ryan Hall on 7-12-2007 at 2:21 pm
Oh, and everyone knows that Hummer = Small Penis, right?
posted by Pica on 7-12-2007 at 3:04 pm
The “Ford Valdez,” nickname for the Ford Excursion to describe a pointlessly large SUV and a symbol of gas-guzzling American excess.
And yes, the Hummer “Compensator.”
Any Chevy Camaro derivative after the 70’s was synonymous with white trailer trash.
posted by Wildergeek on 7-12-2007 at 3:59 pm
why did they put rear window defrosters on Yugos? To keep you r hands warm while you’re pushing!!
posted by tony fuller on 7-12-2007 at 4:01 pm
I heard that the Chevy Nova flopped in Mexico because they neglected to change the name, and Nova in Spanish means “No Go.”
posted by Beth on 7-12-2007 at 4:50 pm
Not really.
posted by JP on 7-12-2007 at 5:03 pm
#8, very true. Whenever I see one (usually hand painted with stars and rainbows), I think ‘hippie’ (not in a bay way, I’d love to have one)
posted by littlecat on 7-12-2007 at 6:09 pm
#12, that’s just an urban legend.
‘No va’ in Spanish can translate to ‘doesn’t go’, but ‘nova’ is an entirely different word and is emphasized differently. Spanish-speakers can hear and read the difference between the two.
posted by Donna on 7-12-2007 at 9:26 pm
#2 - I’ve always heard that phrase with Rolls Royce.
One time my grandfather purchased a Cadillac and when he asked me what I thought I told him, “It’s great, it’s like the Rolls Royce of cars” - he stared at me for a moment and then replied “No, it’s a Cadillac.” Sadly, he didn’t get the joke.
posted by Bradley on 7-12-2007 at 11:28 pm
The Chevy Vega is reputed to hold the distinction of rusting while in the showroom. My father, who has a strange affinity for automotive disasters, had both a Vega and a Corvair.
posted by Daniel Kim on 7-13-2007 at 1:44 am
At one time, the “mini van” was known to be driven exclusively by soccer moms and “breeders” — thus a metaphor for middle-class US families.
…and didn’t Doc tell Marty that the DeLorean’s stainless steel exterior made it ideal for a time machine?
posted by anonymous on 7-13-2007 at 1:48 am
Not so much lately, but Dodge Darts (and their drivers) used to be joked about. The Darts of the 70’s were considered to be “dorky” lackluster economy cars.
Kids with Mustangs and Camaro’s would laugh and challenge me and my Dart to drag race and I would show them what an old ‘74 Dart could do. They ate my dust.
posted by Tdave on 7-13-2007 at 2:27 am
Hummer = excessive. Not the Military Humvee, but the blinged out ones you see in Hollywood
Mini = cheeky. Especially with movies like The Italian Job.
posted by v.dog on 7-13-2007 at 3:29 am
Really too bad about the Corvair; they are great cars. I’ve driven several, but never owned one.
A friend of mine has a Corvair convertible that he rebuilt. Beautiful car, but the thing that garners the most comments at shows is the “Nader for President” bumper sticker. Few people get the joke; most ask why he’d spoil a car like that with a sticker.
posted by Dave on 7-13-2007 at 6:52 am
The irony of the Hummer is that the majority of people who drive them are upper-class middle-aged mothers who like them because they’re safe for carting the kids around in. Yet, you might think is would be Rambo type guys buying them.
posted by Clutch on 7-13-2007 at 10:27 am
Caddilac? shouldn’t it be Rolls Royce? Whenever anything of quality is made the saying goes: “This is the Rolls Royce of —–”
posted by Rexmons on 7-13-2007 at 11:24 am
I thought Doc chose the Delorean for it’s Aluminum chassis?
Also I remember hearing that the Pinto had to be renamed in Latin America as Pinto is a slang term for “small penis”
posted by Yves on 7-13-2007 at 11:26 am
I agree with that one. Doc used the Delorian because of its stainless steel design, not because it was stylish….although I’m sure it didn’t hurt.
posted by Drew on 7-13-2007 at 11:57 am
…and Ford’s very large SUV, the ‘Exhibition.’
posted by F451 on 7-13-2007 at 12:04 pm
I own a DeLorean. Parts are not hard to find. Sometimes expensive… But not hard to obtain.
posted by coreysmoo on 7-13-2007 at 12:07 pm
As a DeLorean owner, I’m upset by the number of incorrect facts. If only 3,000 were made the first year, how do I own the 6,482 one produced that year? There is no difficulty finding parts, despite the company going under in 1983. Marty wasn’t surprised because of the car being a flop, he didn’t recognize it with the extra features. Check out www.dmctalk.com for all the DeLorean info you want.
posted by Lord_Vadus on 7-13-2007 at 2:55 pm
I second Coreysmoo!
Plus, how many other pricey ‘81-’83 cars still command their original selling price?
Also, Marty was only puzzled that Doc had built a time machine period. The line from the movie spoken by Doc goes “If you’re gonna build a time machine into a car why not do it with some style! Beside, the stainless steel skin makes flux dispersal-”.
They have their quirks, but that’s but one of the joys of owning a DeLorean!
posted by deloreandude on 7-13-2007 at 2:56 pm
I second Coreysmoo!
Marty was only puzzled because Doc had built a time machine, period.
The line from the movie is “If you’re gonna build a time machine into a car why not do it with some style! Besides, the stainless steel construction makes flux dispersal-”
Sure, DeLoreans have their quirks, but that’s part of the fun of owning a DeLorean. Besides, there’s not many pricey ‘81-’83 cars that still command their original selling price 26 years later!
posted by deloreandude on 7-13-2007 at 3:00 pm
I would love to comment on every single post individually, but alas I cannot. The Edsel was the one that didn’t deserve the bad hype, and today they fetch thousands of dollars if they are in good condition. And with the Corvair, a strange cult-like movement has been created, comprised of older men who adore and restore the infamous car.
Last comment: The only reason many of the original DeLoreans are still around is because the only person who would want to own such a vehicle wants to keep it running for nostalgia’s sake. Who could care less about an ‘83 Corolla?
posted by Leif on 7-13-2007 at 4:19 pm
I forgot to add, when in popular culture do you hear of a DeLorean as “Overhyped?” In new movies, the DeLorean is referred to as synonymous as a time machine. Donnie Darko, Knocked Up, the cover of the Alan Parsons new Time Machine album, Family Guy, Stargate, and more. Their writeup on the DeLorean is the worst on this page.
posted by Lord_Vadus on 7-13-2007 at 5:25 pm
I own a DeLorean as well and I can tell you parts are not hard to find at all. Go to delorean.com, specialtauto.com, delorean-parts.com, etc… and see for yourselves.
Also they made more that 3,000 cars in the first year cause I have I have the 6408th one produced in 1981.
They certainly didn’t choose the DeLorean for Back to the Future cause it looked like a UFO. In the original script they had the time machine being a refrigerator, fearing that kids would get stuck in them they changed the time machine to something else. Because the DeLorean looked futuristic they used that instead.
posted by James on 7-13-2007 at 7:24 pm
I’m sure they made more, but the story said they only sold 3,000 the first year.
posted by Miss Cellania on 7-13-2007 at 9:15 pm
Again mis information on the DeLorean.
I personally make 57 parts for the car and supply them to the many vendors that exist. Parts??? 99% delivered to you next day if you wish. What is not available as NOS has been reproduced plus many upgrade parts. Probably one of the most Parts Accessable 25 year old cars out there. You can see these cars at www.deloreancarshow.com There are more facts wrong in the article so next time please do your research.
posted by Ken Koncelik on 7-14-2007 at 4:59 am
Some confusion seems to be present on the number of DeLoreans sold in 1981. Many sold from the factory, but some sat on the dealers lots for a few years. That line should be revised or omitted to avoid misleading people. It may seem nitpicky, but the Wikipedia link about the car, contained in the article, could’ve corrected some of the info.
posted by Lord_Vadus on 7-14-2007 at 6:37 pm
The 1976-80 Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volare were also notorious for rusting in the showrooms.
The 1980 GM X-Cars, specifically the Chevrolet Citation, became the most recalled cars in history…first for rear drum brakes that locked up way too easily, causing the cars to skid out of control.
The 1982-88 Cadillac Cimarron became an object lesson in bad badge engineering and delusions of grandeur. It was a Chevrolet Cavalier with different taillight lenses, grille, and quad headlights, at twice the price, albeit with more features.
It was the first 4-cylinder Cadillac in 70 years, and its standard engine was even optional in its Cavalier, Sunbird, Firenza, and Skyhawk platform mates. But when something went wrong on a Cimarron - which it would, inevitably - owners would pay Cadillac repair bills to fix a Cavalier-in-drag.
Then in ‘84, the Cavalier got quad headlights and a crosshatch grille, and the differences identifiable by laymen between it and the Cimarron went from miniscule to virtually nil.
Cadillac wanted to market the car as an answer to the compact Mercedez-Benz and BMW 5-Series. It started out selling a less-than-expected 25,000 units in ‘82, and production ended with a pathetic trickle of 6,000-some cars by 1988.
posted by inline6 on 7-16-2007 at 2:26 pm
As for the Corvair, most auto historians of the era have come to realize that it was not Nader that killed the Corvair (while he gets blamed most often), but the new Ford Mustang. GM realize immediately that the Corvair was the wrong type of economy car with which to compete. That is why it took GM until 1967 to gear up with the Camaro.
posted by Autonut52 on 7-17-2007 at 11:43 am
Volvo = steady, a bit stodgy
posted by mseditor on 7-25-2007 at 10:22 am
I have to agree with a previous submittal that Cadillac is definitely a metaphor for ‘best’, moreso than some of the other postings.
I’ve never owned a caddy, mind you, but you have to concede that refering to any consumer product as “the Cadillac of…” has become a common metaphor.
posted by Chris on 7-27-2007 at 7:20 am
Saturday Night Live did a great news parody, and I recall one short piece on the Yugo which included, “The Yugo has completed the government-required crash tests. All that was left was the three thousand dollar Dealer Prep.”
posted by Jim on 7-27-2007 at 1:11 pm
Renault Le Car = Shoddy
Gave small cars will good gas mileage a reputation for poor quality. Came years before the Yugo.
posted by Doug on 7-28-2007 at 12:36 pm
I had thought the first entry would be Deusenberg, for “It’s a doozy!”, meaning superb, most excellent. The idiom remained in use in American English into the 1960s, even thought the cars had ceased production in 1937.
posted by Rashid Patch on 7-28-2007 at 1:58 pm
renault alliance, anyone? That was the crappiest car ever built or sold in the U.S., IMHO. I used to drive the damn thing with all the windows down in 20 degree (F) because the defroster didn’t work, and used to drive it with the HEAT ON in 85 degree weather because it would overheat otherwise. Not to mention the transmission crapped out and had to be replaced with one from a ’70s era VW bug.
posted by Carey on 7-29-2007 at 8:15 am
Maybe I’m not too smart on cars yet (I’m just beginning a blog on them and going to purchase one) but for me, personally, Volvo is the methaphor for top of the line. This car is said to be very secure, completely reliable. When I have enough money for it, this one will be my best choice no doubt.
posted by Opra on 8-5-2007 at 7:49 am
Interesting that Nader was WRONG about the Corvair, isn’t it? GM should sue him for the unjustified damage he caused to the profit line. He made a political career out of a false claim and never had to pay for it.
posted by DeloreanMan on 8-5-2007 at 4:52 pm
And in more modern times the Prius is definitely a metaphor for “green”.
posted by Michelle on 9-6-2007 at 8:37 am
How can you leave out the Trabant, that lovable Iron Curtain product that makes the Yugo look like a Cadillac? I’ve been in one of these and they truly have to be experienced to be believed. They were the universal metaphor for Communist incompetence, so bad that owners often skipped hating them and went straight to affectionate mockery.
After the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, some sharp-thinking artist mounted one of these on top of four humongous monster legs, spray-painted the whole thing gold and set it right in the main square in Prague, to the profound delight of all who saw it, including me. I don’t have my photos from that here at work, but Googling yielded a pic that is either a copycat or the same statue much later, weathered by outdoor conditions and moved to a more open location. Or maybe the one in the square was one of many, I dunno. Anyway, you can feast your eyes if you go to officeodyssey dot com slash images slash trabant dot gif (sorry, you can’t post a link).
It’s really worth reading up on these cars as a form of entertainment. They were a complete and utter joke, to no one more than the people who had to drive them.
posted by Elsie on 9-6-2007 at 9:10 am
Agree completely with Doug, I owned a Renault Le Car and it’s like driving a toy car. We used to have to pull over and let it rest every little while.
posted by Elsie on 9-6-2007 at 9:13 am
No, Michelle, Prius = “interminable smugness”.
And what about the AMC Pacer = “fishbowl”?
posted by John on 9-6-2007 at 9:42 am
The Hyundai Pony came “Pre-rusted”.
posted by Mike Fraser on 9-6-2007 at 11:06 am
And the Chrysler Corporation’s infamous K-cars - one of the most practical, comfortable small cars that I ever owned was an ‘82 Plymouth Reliant SE wagon. The only problem was that it spent as much time in the repair shop as on the road, earning it the nickname “unReliant”.
Ergo, Reliant = unreliable.
posted by Anon_e_mouse on 9-6-2007 at 11:09 am
Hello? Has everyone forgotten the GREMLIN ?? My goodness, what a horrible car that was, and how it deserved its name. It was a perfect match.
Also, consider that the VW Beetle was never actually called a Beetle (or in German, Kaefer) by the manufacturer until the New Beetle appeared at the end of the 90s.
When it comes to car names as metaphors, I think your list has to include Rolls Royce, Cadillac, Beetle, Microbus (even the non-VW ones are sometimes called that, and VW actually called them Transporter, Samba and other names), Gremlin, Skoda (a convertible Skoda was nicknamed in England ‘Skip,’ which is Brit for ‘Dumpster’), and so many more that I think someone needs to write a whole new article.
Because, really, isn’t this fun?
posted by Marcmousse on 9-6-2007 at 11:23 am
RE: #46 (Opra) on Volvos. Yes, good cars, but only prior to Ford Mo Co’s takeover. Since then, reliability has suffered. Prior to that, “safe as houses,” reliable but pricey repairs. We’ve owned 3; a ‘70 4 dr sedan (simple car and great), a ‘79 V6 sta wgn (good, hi-speed Autobahnen cruiser, pricey repairs), and a ‘94 turbo sta wgn. Always felt I could put them on the roof and walk away unscathed.
posted by Sonny Jones on 9-6-2007 at 2:14 pm
Volvo - in the 1970s and ’80s - became the metaphor of choice (in the UK Australia and New Zealand at least) for safety reliability and quality. So much so that it eventually hurt the brand image, because so many old fogies (of both genders) were seen driving them, safely and reliably, and SLOWLY. This was odd, as the 242 sedan came very close to winning a 1982 Car and Driver (or was it Road and Track?) Sports Sedan comparo, against the likes of the Alfa, Mazda, Fiat and Lancia. So Volvo responded by going motor racing in a Volvo 850 turbo station wagon (!) - and winning the British Touring Car Championship with it, two years running. Yeeehaaa!
posted by Howard Whitton on 9-6-2007 at 2:47 pm
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the Fiat!
FIAT= Fix It All the Time
posted by MS Fish on 9-6-2007 at 5:43 pm
When I hear “Cadillac” used in business and IT settings it signals that something is loaded down with features and priced to match. It would be contrasted with “Beetle” or “VW”, meaning basic, but gets the job done, as in, “We don’t have the time to deploy some Cadillac solution, let’s just get a Beetle up and running by next month.”
posted by Mike H-M on 9-6-2007 at 8:03 pm
In the 60s and earlier, Cadillac had a certain cachet about it, but it took a dive after that. Now they’re just known for rapper wannabes cruising around in their Black Escalades with the heavily tinted windows all rolled down so everyone can hear them producing thundering rap sounds.
I recall shopping for furniture somewhere around 1990, and the salesman proudly proclaimed “This is the Cadillac of dining room sets.” He could tell from the look my wife and I had on our faces that this pitch wasn’t having the desired effect, so he changed it to “the Mercedes of dining room sets.” By this time, the damage to his credibility was beyond repair, so we laughed and left.
Instead of a metaphor model, I would suggest classifying all American cars of the 1970s as a chapter in automotive history that is best forgotten. Congress mandated that cars be safer, produce less emissions, and consume less fuel. Detroit claimed it couldn’t be done and then showed us what the result would be. They were still in denial when the Japanese met all the requirements and did so with style and quality.
posted by Jed on 9-7-2007 at 12:05 am
I’ve got to disagree about the Renault Alliance. My first new car was an ‘84 Alliance & I loved it. Dependable, reliable & fun. Maybe I got the only good one?
Gotta love farty Dartys, too. I’ve owned two and would love to find another.
posted by sldeni on 9-7-2007 at 12:11 am
I’m certainly no car expert but what about the Mitsubishi Pajero, which I learnt recently had to be renamed in Spain because it’s spanish slang for “w****r”.
posted by Randallw on 9-7-2007 at 1:04 am
I remember BMWs signifying the yuppie culture of yore!
Pretty sure gordon Gecko drove one!
posted by Vikram Koppikar on 9-10-2007 at 2:29 am
The well-known metaphor or cliche for the Volvo comes from that famous line from the Dudley Moore movie “Crazy People” where he plays an ad exec so nuts he actually tells the truth. His proposed slogan for a Volvo ad: “They’re boxy, but they’re good.” I never even saw the movie, but that line is a permanent part of the lexicon.
posted by ulysses on 9-15-2007 at 4:25 am
i”VW Buses became a metaphor for Hippie Culture.”
Eleven long-haired friends of Jesus in a chartreuse micro-bus?
posted by Joel on 9-27-2007 at 9:45 pm
I’ve owned a Vega and a Corvair (first year version of each) and put a lot of miles on them. Look on EBay any day, lots of Corvairs, no Vegas (unless converted to drag racing machine).
posted by Dwight on 11-5-2007 at 12:46 pm
What about the Pontiac Fiero? A wanna be Ferrari made by GM. I seem to recall them blowing up too??? Anyone else remember this or am I crazy?
posted by Red on 11-14-2007 at 1:20 pm
Had the only ‘74 Vega convertible known to exist, had a collection of ‘72 to ‘80 Pinto stationwagons but i am so dissapointed my current rolling egg (Ford Aspire) is not even mentioned. I am getting too old for this hobby; but I can just see a collection of Easter Egg Aspires in my imagination…
posted by chris jordan on 11-14-2007 at 6:50 pm
Here is the European list:
NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS:
1) Trabant = shoddy. Made from reinforced Duroplast plastic and posessing a 16 HP twin-strike engine, the Trabi became the symbol of both shoddy worksmanship and East German failure of keeping pace with Mercedes and BMW. It is claimed the Revell plastic model kit of Trabi was made from better material than the car itself.
2) Wartburg = polluting. Better made than Trabi, but sported a far larger, very fuel-inefficient twin-stroke engine, which apparently was responsible of more greenhouse gas emissions than East German blast furnaces.
3) Fiat = faulty. Italian worksmanship has very poor reputation, and it is said Fiat means “Fix or Reparation Daily”, or “Fix It Again, Tony”
4) Lada = rudimentary. Lada was modelled after Fiat 124, and its basic design stayed the same for almost 30 years. While Lada was robust and reliable, it was also very rudimentary, had absolutely no features besides the mandatory ones, and had very poor corrosion protection.
5) BMW = penis extension. The BMW is forever connected to arrogance, poor driving habits, the negative aspects of Yuppie culture and disrespect to other road users. It is said there are two things of which you do not want to disemark at public: one is bathtub and the other is BMW.
6) Hummer = unsafe. High center of gravity, enormous mass (and inertia momentum) and bad design have contributed many accidents, where a Hummer has capsized and killed or maimed the occupants. Besides that, you really don’t want to collide a train in a Hummer.
7) Skoda = mediocrity. The Czech brand was appreciated more than other Eastern Bloc cars, but yet less than German or French cars. The Skoda became soon the symbol of mediocrity: the buyers often pondered between an used German car and new Skoda. Ironically, Skoda is today a German brand, owned by VW.
8) Austin Metro = failure. The British Leyland’s final attempt to save the UK car industry finally torpedoed it. Overhype, overpricing and shoddy worksmanship meant its demise.
9) Datsun 100A = cheapo. Small, cheap and quickly devaluating. The Clog, as it was called, was inexpensive but had almost no resale value.
10) Moskvich = junk. Uncomfortable, unsafe and unreliable. It is said someone can buy a Lada because of price or need for a simple car to get from point A to point B, but to buy a Moskvich you really had to have ideological reasons to do so. Usually only staunch Communists drove Mossies.
POSITIVE CONNOTATIONS:
1) Volvo = safe. Volvos have always had a good reputation of safety and reliability and putting the substance ahead style: “yeah, it may be ugly but it’s Volvo”.
2) VW Beetle = versatile. Beetles have always been the favourites of hobbyists and do-it-yourselfers - it provides a sound basis for any conversion project.
3) Mercedes = performance. Mercedes-Benz has always been the wealthy gentleman’s car.
4) Ferrari = extravaganza. ‘Nuff said.
5) Alfa Romeo = driveability. Alfas are extremely nice to drive and perform well on mountain roads.
6) Saab = reliable. Another Swedish car, designed for harsh Scandinavian climate, has gained a good reputation on reliability.
7) Rolls-Royce = luxury. To be a Rolls-Royce of something has the reputation of being considered the finest.
8) Land Rover = utility. Can be used for almost anything except F1 races and goes almost anywhere.
9) Toyota Hilux = unbreakable. Can survive almost anything except train crash.
10) SEAT = adequateness. The Spanish car is what the Skoda isn’t: something which can suffice and do the thing needed. “Yeah, that piece of software isn’t going to be Ferrari, but you’ll get a SEAT”.
posted by Ironmistress on 11-22-2007 at 3:10 am
’70s Ford Maverick = Who cares about the Mustang?
This car actually has a cult following (I own a ‘76) and they can kick butt on a Mustang at the dragstrip. Not bad for a ” ’70s economy car’
posted by Firefox on 6-18-2008 at 11:05 am
On the “Negative Conotations” you have the wrong car with “Fix Or Repair Daily” that is the honor of the FORD model of anything. FORD is also connected with “Found On Roadside Dying”. Those are American idioms I guess.
Really enjoyed the trip back in time.
posted by CalGal on 6-18-2008 at 1:32 pm
I’m sure there are several metaphors for a Porsche 550 Spyder - the model that James Dean died in.
posted by Andy on 6-18-2008 at 3:11 pm
Ulysses: the better line from Crazy People was: “Jaguar- sleek and smart. For men who would like handjobs from beautiful women they hardly know!”
Not really a metaphor, but the VW Beetle was widely known for their ad where it is floating on water. I think it was National Lampoon that showed the picture in an “ad” that read “If Ted Kennedy drove a Volkswagen, he’d be president today”.
posted by BS on 6-18-2008 at 3:43 pm
Haven’t any of you ever had a Cadillac Margarita? Never was questioned by any bartender or waitress.
posted by JR on 6-18-2008 at 5:08 pm
Cadillac Escalade = Bling!
posted by yada on 6-18-2008 at 5:37 pm
The recent incarnation of the Chev Cavalier is also a notorious hunk of junk. Recalls galore. They don’t start in the rain. Steering column problems. I had one. It sucked royally. We put three transmissions in the thing. The last was a tranny for a Pontiac Sunfire of similar year. The last tranny died on NYE 2003. We did not buy another one. The day the last payment went out on the damn thing was the day the junk yard hauled it away. My bff had a cavalier and had the same kinds of troubles. I still see the odd one on the road and shudder, just a little, everytime I see one hobbling down the road.
Oh yeah, @BS, far more people remember the Volvo line in Crazy People than remember the Jaguar line. For real.
Austin was also synonymous with small, my dad always said this limerick.
There once was a man from Boston,
who had a baby Austin,
He had room for his ass, a galon of gas and his B*lls hung out till he lost them.
Cheers!
posted by sammysunshine on 6-18-2008 at 7:11 pm
Agree with Red about the Fiero. Great ambitions, but blown engines. Once saw a GM dealer with about 20 Fiero engines on pallets.
VW = folks car. Basic transportation. Our family car from 63 - 68
Any Italian sport cars = Wow
Any cheap European car = flimsy
Expensive European car = money sinkhole
Any American car = steady job for mechanic
Any 80’s - 90’s Japanese car = reliable, adequate, complete, economical, etc
Today’s Japanese car = relying on reputation, but just like an American car - oh yeah! the factories are in America now.
Most fun car we ever owned: Vespa 400 - had to sell it because we couldn’t get a carburetor part. Wish I had it back along with our 63 VW, my 85′ Camry, and my 68 Ford pickup. Put over 1/2 million miles on those latter 3.
posted by Jim on 6-18-2008 at 7:41 pm
I can’t complain about the Pinto’s safety record too much - I owe it my favorite personal anecdote/joke:
a week before my 17th birthday I broke my wrist hanging onto the windowsil of a Pinto on a skateboard but it could have been a lot worse - I could have been IN the Pinto! :D
I would nominate the Acura Integra as the rich (or at least upper-middle) college kid’s car of choice for the late 80s/most of the 90s. the 1st car I paid for myself was a red 89 2dr LS and loved that thing - it remains to this day my favorite car I’ve ever owned (now 38)! I’d buy a new GS or R tomorrow if they brought them back!
posted by jakesdad on 7-1-2008 at 8:56 am