Tell me it's true!

[DukeAllen]

[Mike Mercury]

Fords plan for the initial Pinto was for world sales; a small car that would sell well in foreign cpountries.

One of their first foreign venue was South America; Brazil. Ford sales of its Pinto car was a disaster in Brazil. Pinto was Brazilian slang for "small male genitalia". They had to completely rebadge all the cars with a new name "Corcel" which means horse.

[NeedSpeed]

Originally Posted by Mike Mercury

Fords plan for the initial Pinto was for world sales; a small car that would sell well in foreign cpountries.

So we're planting bombs in foreign countries?

[Doug28450]

Originally Posted by NeedSpeed

So we're planting bombs in foreign countries?

Henry Ford's plan for world domination.

[island14]

Three on the tree...

Yipeeeeee

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by Mike Mercury

Fords plan for the initial Pinto was for world sales; a small car that would sell well in foreign cpountries.

One of their first foreign venue was South America; Brazil. Ford sales of its Pinto car was a disaster in Brazil. Pinto was Brazilian slang for "small male genitalia". They had to completely rebadge all the cars with a new name "Corcel" which means horse.

And Chevrolet had to re-badge the Nova there. Nova means "no go".

[The_Dude]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

And Chevrolet had to re-badge the Nova there. Nova means "no go".

I wonder why we wanted "exploding stars".

[Bill]

Originally Posted by NeedSpeed

So we're planting bombs in foreign countries?

This is the thread winning comment, right here.

10/10

[Aerovette]

I saw a Pinto in a street meet about 3 weeks ago. Interesting to see an actual specimen, but not sure I'd want to own or ride in one.

Maybe with a Roush powerplant.

[DukeAllen]

My dad loved them. He owned 3 coupes...test drove the Cruising wagon (The one with the porthole) but didn't like how hard it was to see out of. He and 2 of my brothers even got rear ended in one without it catching fire

[OldSarge]

Hope they make the wagon version........

[C5Nate]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

And Chevrolet had to re-badge the Nova there. Nova means "no go".

Nope. snopes.com: Nova Don't Go

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by C5Nate

Nope. snopes.com: Nova Don't Go

I've read that before, and it is unconvincing. The words "no va" mean "doesn't go", as the dissertation states. Then it says that no one with any sense would mix up two words as one word. Bullshit! Car names are often made-up names that sound like other words, and Nova is a classic case of that. I think snopes gives the car companies too much credit in the brains department.

[C5Nate]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

I've read that before, and it is unconvincing. The words "no va" mean "doesn't go", as the dissertation states. Then it says that no one with any sense would mix up two words as one word. Bullshit! .

Pemex (the Mexican government-owned oil monopoly) sold (and still sells) gasoline in Mexico under the name "Nova." If Mexicans were going to associate anything with the Chevrolet Nova based on its name, it would probably be this gasoline.

In any case, if Mexicans had no compunctions about filling the tanks of their cars with a type of gasoline whose name advertised that it "didn't go," why would they reject a similarly-named automobile?

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by C5Nate

Pemex (the Mexican government-owned oil monopoly) sold (and still sells) gasoline in Mexico under the name "Nova." If Mexicans were going to associate anything with the Chevrolet Nova based on its name, it would probably be this gasoline.

In any case, if Mexicans had no compunctions about filling the tanks of their cars with a type of gasoline whose name advertised that it "didn't go," why would they reject a similarly-named automobile?

It's too feckin' late in the day (Translation: Too many gin and tonics) to be splitting feckin' hairs. Messicans can and will buy anything for their cars: To wit, a $5K set of wheels and tires on a $1K car. And then put gasoline mixed with kerosene in the car to run it. Maybe that's meth...but does it make a difference? Of course not... I rest my cases.