Did you know that the alphabetical names for Lexus products actually stand for something? As a case in point, the IS means “Intelligent Sports,” the CT is short for “Creative Touring,” RX is for “Radiant Crossover” and the NX is an awkward abbreviation for “Nimble Crossover.” Oh, and UX stands for “Ugly “Urban Crossover.”
At least that’s what the Lexus website for the United Kingdom says. William Stopford (2018) reported in Curbside Classic that in Australia the CT stood for “Compact Touring” and the NX meant “New Cross Over.”
A number of commentators wondered whether the names were developed after the letter designations were cooked up. Ramon Rivera Notario (2018) helpfully suggested that these were not “acronyms but ‘retronyms.'”
The ES was reportedly changed from “Elegant Sedan” to “Executive Sedan.”
As seems to be typical for blogospheric discussions about alphanumeric naming conventions, artful ridicule soon reared its pointy little head (go here for another example). Will (2018) offered the most subtle dig: “How long until we get Utopian Turtletop?”
Once upon a time Ford asked a poet to name the ‘E-car’
Will appeared to be making reference to one of the proposed names for Ford Motor Company’s new premium-priced brand, which was ultimately called the Edsel. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Marianne Moore came up with the odd name along with an assortment of others. These included The Intelligent Whale, Chaparral, Varsity Stroke, Aeroterre, Symmechromatic, Astranaut and Mongoose Civique. A posting of the complete list is no longer online (Lists of Note, 2012) but the Poetry Foundation presents a few more (Staff, 2012).
According to Thomas E. Bonsall, Moore was approached by Ford product-planning staff because the usual experts were having trouble coming up with a decent name for what was then dubbed the E-car. They wanted fresh ideas from someone “who was, (a) skilled with words, and (b) not encumbered by familiarity with the auto industry” (2002, p. 112).
Well, Moore certainly delivered out-of-the-box ideas. Bonsall didn’t think any of the proposed names were “even remotely suitable” (2002, p. 113). I don’t know if I would be quite so dismissive. Would you rather buy an Edsel or an Astranaut?
Would any of Moore’s names work on Lexus vehicles?
All of which brings us back to Lexus and its jumble of alphabets. The banner photograph renames the NX the Aeroterre, a Moore creation which mixes flight with earthiness. This seems fitting for a sporty crossover with an edgy, aerodynamic look.
To my eyes the 2019 ES350 (shown above) is more athletic than elegant or executivesque. The name Varsity Stroke evokes the pungent muscularity with which its youthful designers must have furiously penned this master . . . piece.
Or consider the LC sporty coupe. Why such an utterly anonymous name for a car that would make a terrific Mongoose? If that strikes you as ill-considered, check out the similarities between the LC’s wild-eyed face and that of its furry friend (2022b).
2019 Lexus LC 500: If this doesn’t look like a Mongoose, what does?
Finally, instead of calling its flagship SUV the LX, why not the Whale? An LX is certainly big enough to look the part. However, if that brings up unflattering images to you, then what about the Chaparral, which evokes traveling the rugged deserts of southwest United States?
A poet might come up with better and cheaper names
You might ask yourself why it apparently costs lots of money to come up with even seemingly simple alphanumeric names. Name selection does have its marketing and copyright complexities (Hoffman, 2008). However, I imagine that poets could handle the job just fine — and for less money than your typical wing-tipped consultant. After all, the average salary of a poet is only $35,000 per year (shmoop, 2021).
Marianne Moore has long since died (Wikipedia, 2022a), but Lexus could undoubtably find good contemporary poets who could help it replace all of those forgettable retronyms with names as expressive as its products’ styling.
NOTES:
This is an updated version of a story originally posted July 11, 2018 and reposted Jan. 8, 2021.
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