Tuesday, February 3, 2009

...and the French are the engineers

Car Models Since 1980, Sold In The U.S., With Names Designed To Sound Like They're From A Romance Language (French/Italian/Spanish)
Aerio (Suzuki)
Alero (Oldsmobile)
Allante (Cadillac)
Altima (Nissan)
Amanti (Kia)
Amigo (Isuzu)
Armada (Nissan)
Aveo (Chevrolet)
Azera (Hyundai)
Baja (Subaru)
Beretta (Chevrolet)
Bonneville (Pontiac)
Bravada (Oldsmobile)
Cabrio (Volkswagen)
Cabriolet (Audi)
Calais (Oldsmobile)
Capri (Mercury)
Caprice (Chevrolet)
Catera (Cadillac)
Cayenne (Porsche)
Ciera (Oldsmobile)
Concorde (Chrysler)
Cordoba (Chrysler)
Corolla (Toyota)
Corrado (Volkswagen)
Corsica (Chevrolet)
Cressida (Toyota)
Del Sol (Honda)
DeVille (Cadillac)
Diamante (Mitsubishi)
Durango (Dodge)
Elantra (Hyundai)
Eldorado (Cadillac)
Festiva (Ford)
Forenza (Suzuki)
Grand Marquis (Mercury)
Grand Prix (Pontiac)
Grand Vitara (Suzuki)
Hombre (Isuzu)
Impreza (Subaru)
Integra (Acura) (and, indeed, Acura itself)
LaCrosse (Buick)
LeBaron (Chrysler)
Leganza (Daewoo)
LeMans (Pontiac)
LeSabre (Buick)
Loyale (Subaru)
Lumina (Chevrolet)
Maxima (Nissan)
Milan (Mercury)
Millenia (Mazda)
Monaco (Dodge)
Montego (Mercury)
Monterey (Mercury)
Montero (Mitsubishi)

keep reading, there's a point to this

Murano (Nissan)
Nubira (Daewoo)
Optima (Kia)
Paseo (Toyota)
Passat (Volkswagen)
Previa (Toyota)
Protege (Mazda)
Quattro (Audi)
Reatta (Buick)
Rendezvous (Buick)
Riviera (Buick)
Santa Fe (Hyundai)
Sedona (Kia)
Sentra (Nissan)
Seville (Cadillac)
Sienna (Toyota)
Solara (Toyota)
Sonata (Hyundai)
Sonoma (GMC)
Sorento (Kia)
Spectra (Kia)
Stanza (Nissan)
Supra (Toyota)
Tempo (Ford)
Terraza (Buick)
Toronado (Oldsmobile)
Vandura (GMC)
Veracruz (Hyundai)
Verona (Suzuki)
Versa (Nissan)
Vitara (Suzuki)

Cars Actually From A Romance-Language Nation (France, Italy, Spain) That Americans Would Consider Buying
Ferrari
Lamborghini
Alfa Romeo

...maybe a Fiat, I guess. But you know what "Fiat" stands for, "Fixed Or Repaired Daily."

(note: "Chevrolet" may or may not count, as Monsieur Chevrolet was born in Switzerland, but grew up in France.)

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