Car-Selling Techniques Have Reached a New Level ©

If you take a look at cars over the last 60 years or so, you will see a pattern in the selling techniques of motor-vehicle manufacturers. 

In the space-fixated 50s, to sell a car, all you had to do was make it look like a rocket by adding some fancy fins. Obviously the fins would make the cars go faster.

During the 60s the Combi-van encouraged young hippies to think of open roads and freedom.

The 70s were all about wearing wide and loud clothes, and having a car to match.

The 80s focused more on economy in ones vehicle so that you could save money to spend on product for your hair.

The 90s vehicles really didn’t matter, as long as they boasted a stereo loud enough to bust the elastic in an old lady’s underwear as she walked past. 

But today, car manufacturers have to appeal to a much wider buying public. For the guys there is the macho machine to impress the ladies. Just throw in a manly name like Ranger, Crewman or Patrol and you’ve got a potential winner.

Any vehicle that sounds vaguely like it’s having a fun time will draw in the younger generation such as the Rio or the Festiva. Obviously they must be fun to drive.

But one of the most disturbing trends that I’ve noticed with car-manufacturers is the not so transparent selling technique of naming a car to sound vaguely like a celebrity or well-known character. Consider the following:

Maxima Smart;

Tom Cruiser;

Camry Diaz;

Frank Sonata;

Forrester Gump;

Carmen Elantra; and

Freddy Kluger

As we head towards the teen years, perhaps vehicle manufacturers will turn to science-fiction sounding names for cars like “Back to the Futura?” ©