Business | Marque to market

How not to name a new car

Companies that get it wrong risk both derision and outrage

Ford Pinto 1971 brochure shot.
An unfortunate associationPhotograph: The Ford Motor Company

Bestowing a name on a car, as on a child, is not to be taken lightly. By naming his progeny X Æ A-XII, Elon Musk has condemned the boy to a lifetime of befuddled attempts at pronunciation (“ex ash ay twelve”, for those wondering). Naming the first four models produced by Tesla, his car company, S, 3, X and Y was equally asinine.

This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Marque to market”

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