Encyclopedia Hoonatica: Single-Year Model Names

By Peter Tanshanomi Mar 28, 2016

IMG_0197
Combine the effort automotive marketing men put into developing public awareness of model names with the intellectual property value of a legally-established trade mark, and it is understandable why car model names, once established, are often recycled over and over. But, some model names die fast and quiet. These are names tainted by a bad model, or reference a rapidly outdated fad, identified cars that were intentionally small-volume, limited-edition halo cars, or perhaps got slapped together just to use up a stockpile of odd parts. And every once in a while, a name just doesn’t play as well in the showroom as test marketing suggested it would. Even in these cases, however, model names usually get at least a few years to prove themselves before they’re cast into the dustbin of corporate history.
It is rare that a model name is retired after only a single model year, never to be resurrected; this is the topic for this week’s Hoonatica entry.
The Caveats (there are always caveats, and today more than usual!):

  • This is not about platforms or models, but model names. If it was used for more than one model year by a particular manufacturer, even on vehicles in different segments or decades apart, it doesn’t count. ONE. YEAR. ONLY.
  • Trim lines and submodels don’t count. The major model name must be unique. Yes, this also goes for homologation specials.
  • We’re talking world-wide. A model name marketed in ANY market (or combination of markets) for more than one year doesn’t count, even if it happened to be sold in some particular nation or continent for one year only.
  • Mass-produced vehicles only, obviously. Customs, kit cars, amateur-built cars, concept cars and prototypes need not apply.
  • Cars introduced within a year of their manufacturer’s bankruptcy (or other permanent suspension of production) don’t count. The model name must have been intentionally killed, not a victim that died of natural causes.
  • Model names that by definition were designed to change every year don’t count. The example I’m thinking of are the Chrysler 300 “Letter cars.”
  • In light of the above caveat, alpha-numeric names require a special dose of discrimination. Are the IS200d and IS200t really two different names, or just two versions of the same model name? [The latter is the correct answer, if you haven’t figured it out.]
  • Cars, light trucks and heavy trucks are allowed. Motorcycles REALLY, REALLY, REALLY don’t count this week, if only because bike models have so routinely died in infancy over the last thirty years. Airplanes? Don’t even think about it.

Difficulty: Thinking caps on! Very little of this fruit is truly low-hanging, but give the ol’ memory a nudge and perhaps engage in a bit of careful investigation; there is plenty here for everyone.
How This Works: Read the comments first and don’t post duplicates! Bonus points for adding photos.
Image Source: Wikipedia.

By Peter Tanshanomi

Tanshanomi is Japanese [単車のみ] for "motorcycle(s) only." Though primarily tasked with creating two-wheel oriented content for Hooniverse, Pete is a lover of all sorts of motorized vehicles.

0 thoughts on “Encyclopedia Hoonatica: Single-Year Model Names”
      1. “The major model name must be unique. Yes, this also goes for homologation specials.”
        I figured that meant cars like the Grand Prix 2+2 Aerocoupe, which shared the “Grand Prix” part of its name with many other production Pontiacs throughout the years.

          1. Also as labeled directly on the car itself, although I concede that isn’t always definitive. For example, the mid-year 1959 Galaxies still say “Fairlane 500” on them in several places for the sake of manufacturing convenience but there’s no indication Ford ever intended to call them Fairlane 500 Galaxies instead of simply Galaxies. For the Superbirds, however, Plymouth did go out of its way to include the words “Road Runner” in the [sub]model-specific trim.

    1. I’ve seen these on occasion, but didn’t realize it was only sold as that for a single year.

      1. I had a neighbor in Las Vegas who bought one of these and then was excited a year later to hear that it was going to be just one year. He was convinced the value was going to skyrocket. I didn’t argue with him.

    2. I was going to post this, but thought it violated the caveats. But, I see now that the earlier Lincoln-Zephyr was a marque, not a model, so I think it squeaks by on a technicality.

  1. Kia Borrego existed for only one model year, 2009.
    If you’re strictly asking for a model name that existed for one year, yet the model existed in previous or subsequent year or years under a different name, I guess then Borrego doesn’t meet that test.

      1. Now that you mention it, I seem to recall the model was available overseas even longer, but maybe only as Mohave.

    1. Wouldn’t this fall under the “Trim lines and submodels don’t count. The major model name must be unique. Yes, this also goes for homologation specials.”?

      1. This is actually something that’s always been somewhat confusing to me: I’ve both heard and read of them being referred to as either ‘Kaiser Henry Js’ or just ‘Henry Js’, so am not totally clear on whether the Henry J was considered a model under Kaiser or its own marque.

  2. The 1960 Frontenac – a facelifted Falcon for Canada only, replaced by the Mercury Comet for 1961.

    1. That’s a marque, not a model, and so it falls victim to the rule that “Cars introduced within a year of their manufacturer’s bankruptcy (or other permanent suspension of production) don’t count.”

      1. Ford of Canada (who was responsible for the Frontenac) did not go bankrupt or stop production of cars after the Frontenac was finished. I say it qualifies.

        1. That would open the door to several models introduced only in a marque’s terminal year, provided the parent company survived for at least one more year as an automobile producer. The various models of the 1930 Marquette and the standalone 1940 LaSalle Series 52, for example, inasmuch as GM outlived them. I’m not convinced.

    1. “Trim lines and submodels don’t count. The major model name must be unique. Yes, this also goes for homologation specials.”

      1. They weren’t called the Princess when sold as an Austin, Morris or Wolesely, instead being referred to as the 18-22 series. Except I think they were called 1800 and 2200 under Austin and Morris, which weren’t new badges. The Wolesely was called the Wolesely Saloon from what I can gather, which was new for Wolesely. Except that Wolesely as a marque immediately ended after this and basically trying to figure out if this thing counts might have given me a headache. Thanks British Leyland.
        http://www.aronline.co.uk/images/princess_02.jpg

    1. That’s almost as confusing as the Pontiac 2+2, which was a Catalina trimline for ’64, still technically the same for ’65 but without any Catalina badging, then officially its own separate series for ’66, and finally a trimline again for for 1967.

    2. Similarly, Star Chief Executive was 1966-only, then in 1967 became simply the Pontiac Executive.

    1. Still trying to figure out what the difference between the Lemans, Custom S and Tempest is even supposed to be. Silly American car makers and their habit of turning trims into badges.

  3. The Alliance-based Renault GTA was only manufactured for the 1987 model year. However, there were some unsold ones that were first registered in 1988.

      1. I’ve heard them referred to informally as the Alliance GTA, but believe that Renault’s official name for the car was the Renault GTA.
        We just moved so I have no idea where my brochures from the time are packed away, which means that I can’t check my stuff for reference – but I did turn the following up from Hemmings, which features scans of what I’m fairly certain is one of the GTA brochures that I also have:
        http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2015/09/29/the-one-to-watch-1987-renault-gta-brochure/
        In that, the car is referred to as the ‘Renault GTA’.
        If only they’d made an Encore GTA – I could use a bubbleback that’s good on the skidpad.

  4. The Holden HX Limited Edition. 1976 September
    Not badged or marketed as a Monaro but used up the last remaining 2nd gen Monaro two door bodyparts, and for that matter many other pieces that GMH found they had lying around including an 8-track cartridge player (in ’76?) and ‘Polycast’ wheels. All these bits cobbled together gave GMH a new top of the range two door for AUD$ 10500. And just the one colour and spec.
    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/1976_Holden_HX_Limited_Edition.jpg/1024px-1976_Holden_HX_Limited_Edition.jpg

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 64 MB. You can upload: image. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here