GM follows Mitsubishi's example

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Mitsubishi sold a model in North America called the Montero. Elsewhere in
the world, this model was known as the Pajero, which caused a lot of mirth
in some Spanish-speaking countries where "pajero" is slang for
"masturbator" -- comparable to naming a car the Wanker in England or the
Jerkoff in America.

And now General Motors is toying with doing likewise. Looks as though for
the first time since the prolonged and unlamented death of the Chevrolet
Corsica (US)/Pontiac Tempest (Canada), there may be a name split in GM's
US/Canada line:

GM finds out LaCrosse not just a team sport in Quebec
*
Paul Brent
National Post


Thursday, October 16, 2003

General Motor's plans to rechristen the Canadian-built Buick Regal
passenger car as the Buick LaCrosse have hit a snag: In Québécois youth
culture, the word is slang for masturbation, among other things.

U.S. focus groups said the name lends the car a sophisticated European
air, but the world's largest automaker discovered in focus groups in
Quebec that it generated giggles among young participants.

"I speak French as taught in Switzerland and as taught in France, I spent
three years in Paris functioning in the French system, and I thought I
knew every expression existing in the French language for
self-gratification, including the crudest ones known to man," said a GM
vice-chairman.

"The Regal will disappear in the United States and be replaced by
LaCrosse, which is a very elegant upper-class field sport, but in Canada
the new name is as yet undecided," Bob Lutz, 71, said.

Stew Low, a GM Canada spokesman, said in Quebec youth culture the word is
a slang term "that means a couple of things, either to masturbate or 'I
just got screwed,' or 'I just got taken.' "

The LaCrosse name, which has previously adorned a General Motors concept
show car, would likely fail to cause a stir among Buick's main buyers,
regardless of what language they speak. The average age of Buick owners in
the United States is 65, a number that has stubbornly refused to drop even
with the hiring of golf sensation Tiger Woods as a Buick spokesman.

Still, with General Motors spending US$3.2-billion relaunching the Buick
brand and hundreds of millions invested in the Regal/LaCrosse itself, the
company decided not to court controversy in Canada.

"We have a number of Quebecers and it wasn't
a big deal," said Mr. Low. "It wasn't until we got feedback from the youth
culture that this could be an issue."

General Motors has not said where the LaCrosse will be built, in Oshawa or
elsewhere in North America, or when it will debut. Industry reports say it
will be built next year and appear as a 2005 model.



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