Jalopnik: aztek

What's The Worst Car Name?

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:40:00 EDT

Perhaps out of a fear of naming confusions or reinterpretations, a la the BMW Gina and Pontiac Aztek, many companies seem to be going towards alphanumericism (though that presents trouble in China, where the number "4" conjures up the sound of "death"). People fault the Chevy Nova for its Spanish translation, but we still like the name. The Japanese have all sorts of strange and awful naming conventions, aka the Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear and Daihatsu Naked. The Russians created the Lada brand because the original name, Zhiguli, sounded too much like "gigolo."

But what are the worst names? Is it insane to call a 350Z a Fairlady Z? What about the VW wish to name most of their cars after wind patterns? The Touareg, Routan and Tiguan sound more like diseases than cars. "Oh, you hear about Franky? He's got the Routan." These are just off the top of our heads — what do you consider the worst car name of all time?

[Photo: SugarCloud.com]

Gale Harold Tries, Fails To Sell Pontiac Azteks

Murilee Martin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Everyone laughs at the Aztek. Poor Aztek! But at least The General was trying something interesting, either ignoring the focus groups or selecting incredibly unrepresentative focus group members when they made their prediction that their über-cladded crypto-minivan would sell like crazy. And, as part of their ad campaign, they got Queer As Folk actor Gale Harold to do an ad for this fine motor vehicle; watch as he scarfs some sushi, then swings to the beat! Can you hear the marketing wizards bandying about words like "hip" and "urban" and "edgy" in their meetings?

Primate Aztek Brings Existential Terror To All!

Murilee Martin — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:00:00 EST

Brachiate down to eBay, my fellow primates, and feast your eyes on this amazing 2003 Pontiac Aztek. It's got the Lambo Doors, it's got the thumping sound system, and of course it's got the Aztek-tastic babe posing for photos. But most of all, it has primate-themed murals, with everything from chimps to good ol' Homo Sapiens making an appearance on its flanks. The Buy It Now is just $18,500, and the seller has 35 grand in receipts to prove you're getting a steal! Thanks to TinaChow and Yuri for the tip. [eBay Motors]

GM Maybe Should Have Listened To The Pontiac Aztek Market Research Back In The '90's

Ray Wert — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:00:00 EDT

Here's something fun we found in today's "Business Insider" column from the Detroit News:

"Back in the late 1990s, market research folks at General Motors Corp. apparently warned the automaker not to build the notoriously ungainly Pontiac Aztec SUV, but their pleas went unheeded.
The snippet of automotive history came from John Krafcik, vice president of product development and strategic planning for Hyundai Motor America, as part of a presentation on the value of market data in product development in Traverse City.

Krafcik said Hyundai interviewed a researcher involved in the Aztec project as part of an effort to improve its data gathering.

"For whatever reason, the advice wasn't followed," Krafcik said. "And the rest was history.""

So we guess sometimes it pays to follow the research. [via Detroit News]

Which Car Is Growing On You?

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:30:00 EDT

We all remember the Pontiac Aztek, our generation's Edsel. A car so bad, Pontiac even managed to spell the name wrong. Design-wise, the worst element (besides the gas-cap wound) was all that damn cladding. But then, after Pontiac only sold four cars in 18 months (or whatever), GM did the unthinkable – they restyled the duckling. And... they didn't do such a bad job. Granted, the Aztek was as doomed as the Titanic from the initial marketing focus group. But, at least it died in my mind with a modicum of dignity. When I first saw the new Lexus flagship I liked the headlights and the back seat, but thought the car itself pretty blobby and dull. But, sitting on the floor of an auto show is one thing. Seeing these hulking leviathans on the road is another. The top dog Lexi (Lexuses?) posses mad amounts of uberholprestige. That's German for, "Get out of my way or I'm driving up your tailpipe." I gotta admit, these have grown on me. You? – Jonny Lieberman

[The Jalopnik Question of the Day asks the tough questions. Sometimes. Do you have a question you want answered? Email it to tips@jalopnik.com with the subject line "QOTD"]

Related:
How Far Will You Go For The Car Of Your Dreams?; The Jalopnik Question of the Day [Internal]
[Pic: petrolhead.nl]