Car manufacturers are sometimes very creative in coming up with names for their models. Recently Subaru caused a commotion with a controversial version of the Forester. But over the years, more car models have been given a slightly strange name. This results in a list that is as embarrassing as it is entertaining.
There are numerous examples of car models that have somehow been given a separate, unsavory, or inappropriate name. Following the Subaru Forester Ultimate Customized Kit Special (where the abbreviation reads as the spicy ‘Fucks’), there are other most famous ‘mistakes’ of car manufacturers in the field of naming and shaming are mentioned.
In addition to Subaru’s remarkable choice, it also includes the Mitsubishi Pajero, which could not come onto the market in Spanish-speaking countries because Pajero means ‘jerk’ in Spanish. It is not for nothing that the Japanese SUV appeared there as ‘Montero’ and elsewhere as ‘Shogun’.
But also the Hyundai Kona (Cona means ‘kut’ in Portugal) and the Fiat Uno (in Finland Uno means ‘sucker’) have caused a stir in various countries because their names appear to have different meanings in a specific language.
In some cases, automakers stick a different nameplate on their model, but sometimes cars with the weirdest names just hit the road.
The Chevrolet ‘not going’
The American brand Chevrolet, for example, already presented a model with the name Nova in the 1960s. Nothing strange in itself, except that ‘Nova’ in Spanish means as much as ‘he is not going’.
Not so handy for a car manufacturer who claims that his models are technically so reliable. Nevertheless, the Nova remained available for many years.
Another tricky one: the Opel Ascona was a stable, reliable and good family car in some regions, but in Spain and Portugal, that name reminded most people of female genitals.
In Japan, car manufacturers can also make some of them. The compact Mazda Laputa, for example, raises a lot of eyebrows: translated into Spanish, we are dealing here with a, let’s say, ‘lady of light morals’.
In the case of the Nissan Moco, we are talking about ‘Snot’, while the Subaru Brat (‘snot nose’) and Daihatsu Naked are also very cheeky.
