We are back with our next blog on “Meanings & Etymology behind World’s Famous Cars“. Your likes and shares were very motivating for us to write this second part.
In this second part, we have tried to be more trivial and bring you great insight about the car names. So let’s get started.
TATA
Named after the surname of J.R.D Tata, a French-born Indian aviator and business tycoon. Founded in 1945 as a manufacturer of locomotives, the company manufactured its first commercial vehicle in 1954 in a collaboration with Daimler-Benz AG. Tata Motors entered the passenger vehicle market in 1991 with the launch of the Tata Sierra.
Tata Nano: The name “Nano” was coined for this small car as it denotes high technology and small size.
Tata Indica: It is considered India’s first indigenously developed passenger car.
Tata Sumo: Tata Sumo was introduced in 1994 and is said to be named after Mr. Sumant Moolgaokar(Su-Mo), who is revered as the architect of Tata motors.
Tata Safari: Safari meaning a journey or expedition designed for long distance drives and safari.
Tata Aria: Italian word meaning an air or a melodious tune.
Ford
It is named after its founder, Henry Ford, who introduced automobile mass production in 1914.
Ford Mondeo: Mondeo name is derived from the Latin word “Mundus”, which means the world. Its name derives from Ford’s desire to create a single mid-size family car for the world, a so-called “world car”.
Ford Figo: The name “Figo” is a colloquial Italian word meaning cool.
Ford Fiesta: “Fiesta” meaning the festival. Its name varies from country to country, called “Fiesta One” in Argentina, “Fiesta Move” in Venezuela, and “Fiesta Rocam” in Brazil.
Volkswagen
Derived from the German for people’s car. Ferdinand Porsche who wanted to produce a car that was affordable for the masses: the Kraft-durch- Freude-Wagen translates to “Strength-through-joy car”, from a Nazi social organization.
Volkswagen Vento: “Vento” in Italian means wind.
Volkswagen Jetta: “Jetta” is German for jet stream.
Volkswagen Beetle: Beetle name came about organically as a result of its appearance. In different parts of the world, it has different nicknames. It’s known as the “Käfer” in Germany; the “Vocho” in Mexico(for the old Beetles), Costa Rica, and Colombia; the “Fusca” in Brazil and Portugal; the “Coccinelle” in France; and the “Maggiolino” in Italy.
Volkswagen Passat: “Passat” is German for trade wind.
Fiat
It is an Italian acronym of Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino which literally translates to Italian Automobile Factory of Turin.
Fiat Punto: Word “Punto” or point used especially in combination of lace or embroidery, and is of Spanish or Italian origin.
Fiat Linea: “Linea” is a latin word meaning a line or a narrow streak.
Fiat Avventura: “Avventura” is an Italian word meaning adventure.
Mahindra
Mahindra and Mahindra Limited (M&M) is an Indian multinational automobile manufacturing corporation. Mahindra produces a wide range of vehicles including MUVs, LCVs, and three wheelers. It manufactures over 20 models of cars including larger, multi-utility vehicles like the Scorpio and the Bolero.
Mahindra Bolero: Bolero is a Spanish word meaning simple dance.
Mahindra Scorpio: It might be named after the eighth sign of the zodiac.
Nissan
The company was earlier known by the name Nippon Sangyo which means “Japan Industries”.
Nissan Terrano: Italian topographic name from an unattested Latin word “Terrenus” which means belonging to the earth.
Nissan Micra: Nissan Micra, known in Latin America and in most of Asia as the Nissan March. The word “Micra”, means to march in Japan.
Chevrolet
Named after company co-founder Louis Chevrolet, a Swiss-born auto racer. The company was merged into General Motors in 1917 and survives only as a brand name. Chevrolet, Chevy or Chev is used at times as a synonym for General Motors or its products.
Chevrolet Spark: Chevrolet Spark is a city car produced by GM Korea, originally marketed prominently as the Daewoo Matiz. It is synonymous to the spark that ignites the fire. It is also called, Chevrolet Exclusive, Chevrolet Joy, Chevrolet Lechi or Chevrolet Matiz.
Chevrolet Cruze: The Cruze was actually released earlier in 2008 to the South Korean market under the name Daewoo Lacetti Premiere. The word “Cruze” denotes pleasure trip.
Chevrolet Subaru: From the Japanese name for the constellation known to Westerners as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters. Subaru’s parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries, was formed from a merger of six companies, and the constellation is featured on the company’s logo.
Chevrolet Tavera: Tavera is a Spanish variant of Tabera, a habitational name from Tabera in Salamanca province. Isuzu designed the original Tavera, based on the Panther. Chevrolet’s version is based on the facelift version of the Panther.
Chevrolet Trailblazer: It means a leader or a pioneer who blazes the trail.
Renault
It is named after the founder Louis Renault. It is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899.
Renault Duster: The Dacia Duster is a compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) produced jointly by the French manufacturer Renault and its Romanian subsidiary Dacia.
Renault Koleos: The meaning of Koleos is a Creature in Greek, so the design lives up to its name and looks like a brute creature.
Renault Fluence: “Fluence” sounds like it’s short for influence, suggesting it is an upmarket sedan designed for an influential person. The word Fluence also sounds similar to the fluid, suggesting a smooth drive.
Skoda
More commonly known as Škoda, is a Czech automobile manufacturing company founded in 1895. It is headquartered in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. In 1925 Laurin & Klement was acquired by Skoda Works which itself became state-owned during the communist regime. After 1991 it was gradually privatized and in 2000 Skoda became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group.
Skoda Superb: The Skoda Superb is a large family car primarily built by the Czech car manufacturer Skoda Auto as its flagship car. It is currently the largest and most luxurious model in Skoda’s model range.
Skoda Rapid: The Skoda Rapid was introduced in 1935 by Czechoslovakian automotive manufacturer Skoda. The Rapid name was originally used on 1930s Skoda models and was revived again in 2011 on a saloon for the Indian Market.
Skoda Octavia: It was named Octavia as it was the eighth car produced by the nationalised Skoda company.
Knowing the Etymology and meaning behind cars not only lets you know the origin of your car but with a further more dig up, it will also let you know the challenges that were faced by the owners and the team in launching a brand new car and making it a huge success.