Top 15 worst names in the automotive world

Naming a car model is no small task. Designers must not only respect the company's internal strategies but also the multiple markets in which the different vehicles are marketed.

Occasionally, however, the name can be detrimental to the model's image, sometimes due to a negative connotation in another language, a combination of circumstances or even for a completely different reason. The history of the automobile has not escaped these nomenclature discrepancies, which, unsurprisingly, number in the dozens.

We've listed a few classics, but also some more unusual gems. Here's our list of the worst names given in the automotive world.

Ford Escort

Before the Ford Focus, there was the Ford Escort. In the case of this particular model, the name evoked the small boats of a naval fleet. Unfortunately for some, the name also referred to the “profession” of escorting. Despite this detail, it didn't stop the manufacturer from marketing the model for over twenty years in North America.

Mazda LaPuta

Similarly, the Mazda LaPuta meant “the prostitute” in Spanish. Fortunately, this kei-car model was not sold in Spain or any other Spanish-speaking country. And it was better...

Mitsubishi Minica Lettuce

Let's stay in Japan, shall we? In this case, the kei car came with the suffix “Lettuce”. In Shakespeare's language, “Lettuce” means “Lettuce”. To accompany a car name, let's just say that leafy vegetable may not be the term you first think of.

Chevrolet Nova

Here's another blatant example of a translation that doesn't apply to all markets. In Spanish, the term “No va” means “does not advance”. For a car, let's just say that's not a very flattering description of its capabilities. By the way, did you know that the last generation of the model was based on a Toyota Corolla platform? Admit it, it's ironic to have applied the name “Nova” to one of the world's most durable and reliable cars.

Daihatsu Naked

The Daihatsu division was briefly marketed in the USA in the late '80s, but the venture proved inconclusive, sunk by the recession of the early '90s. Fortunately for strategists at the brand supported by the Toyota empire, operations outside North America are flourishing.

In the case of the Daihatsu Naked, it's true that its pragmatic looks are a perfect match for the name, which means “Naked” in French, but Naked may not be the best name to describe a vehicle's capabilities, at least in our humble opinion.

Toyota MR2

As long as the name “M-R-2” is pronounced with the two letters and the number, it's fine. On the other hand, a more hasty pronunciation in French turns into “MeR-deux”. Not a good name for a nimble mid-engined sports car.

AMC Gremlin

In English, the word “gremlin” is used to describe an elf or creature from mythology, but it's also known to depict a mechanical disorder. Nothing to reassure audiences in the 70s, when the AMC brand had a few problems in this area.

Studebaker Dictator

The American Studebaker brand is long gone. The biggest problem with this model, launched in the 1930s, is precisely when it appeared on the market. Let's just say that the car arrived at a time when the rise of totalitarian regimes was gaining momentum.

Audi e-tron

Everyone knows that the idea behind the four-ring automaker's electric range was to pronounce it in English, à la “i-tronne”. But in French, un étron is an excrement. Far be it from us to compare the Ingolstadt-based firm's electric models to excrement, but let's just say that the name doesn't help here at all.

Buick LaCrosse Avenir

The first generation of the midsize sedan was called Lucerne in Canada, which is precisely why it's on this list. Unfortunately, the strategists seem to have forgotten why the name LaCrosse - which points to sport, by the way - was controversial in Quebec. And then there's the Avenir suffix, but let's just say that the main name of this mid-size sedan was more problematic.

Subaru Chiffon

When a teacher compares your work to a rag, you can expect a less-than-stellar grade. Is this true of the vehicle Subaru sold on the Japanese market?

Geely Beauty Leopard

Chinese automakers are also making blunders. Just a few years ago, the industry in the world's largest car market was struggling to make a name for itself with products of questionable design, but that's no longer the case these days. Geely, for example, dared to compare its sports coupe to a leopard beauty or something to that effect. Unfortunately, we don't understand the feline connection, or even the beauty one.

Kia K7

Kia has decided to discontinue the K5 mid-size sedan in Canada after 2024, replacing the Forte with the K4. If the cars were still popular in Canada, the Korean giant might have been tempted to add the Kia K7 to its range. The story doesn't say, however, whether the car is equipped with a “cassette player”.

Nissan Moco

Once again, the translation of a name undermines a vehicle's chances of success in a particular market. In Latin, the name Moco means “mucus”. This is certainly a sticky situation.

Morris Isis

When this model was launched in the late 20s, the extremist group ISIS did not yet exist. Indeed, this was also the case when Isis was reintroduced in the '50s. But the British manufacturer could not have known that this expression would be frowned upon by world public opinion, almost a century later.