A Moniker Can Make A Car, But There's No Secret Formula

Cars of the future are supposed to take center stage at auto shows, but it was names from days past that generated some of the biggest buzz in the Windy City this week.

Ford Motor Co.'s decision to revive the Taurus name and give it to its slow-selling Five Hundred sedan, announced this week at the Chicago Auto Show, had journalists, analysts and executives alike critiquing the strategy and wondering whether it would become the latest trend.

It's not an idle question. Naming vehicles is a major undertaking, with automakers spending millions to cultivate and market each new moniker. The brand equity of mainstays like Civic, Camry and Taurus is valued far beyond that of any high-priced advertising blitz.


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mstangpny07 - 2/9/2007 7:27:32 PM

+1 Boost

"Five-Hundred" is way better than "Taurus" and Freestyle is way better than "Taurus X". What were they thinking!

S4cabriofoxone - 2/9/2007 11:26:10 PM

+1 Boost

I disagree. Five Hundred and Freestyle are both very bland names, but Taurus isn't much of an improvement.

Westside7th - 2/10/2007 12:52:32 AM

+1 Boost

Freestyle was the worst. They should have just released the Five Hundred as the Taurus initially but that was when Ford was trying to have all of their new cars start with 'F'