Have you ever thought the fact that how automakers select the names for their cars?
One of the facts that is generally neglected by car buyers is where do automakers get the names for their cars and what do they mean? If you recall 94th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld in which George Costanza rejects a Volvo in favour of a Chrysler LeBaron. The reason behind this decision was its awkward nameplate. Some automotive enthusiasts consider the nameplate as a factor in the success of the model. Name plates like Integra, Impreza, Supra, Camry and Yaris mean something, but no one actually knows what they mean.
Toyota is one of those automakers who use puzzling names for its models. One of our colleagues contacted Toyota to ask the secrets behind these names. Names like Supra do not require any explanation because it is a common word and represents things which are going out of limits, but do you know the meaning of Camry? According to Toyota, Camry has its origin in Japanese word “Kanmuri = Crown”which is the name of another Toyota saloon, “Toyota Crown”.
When asked about Yaris, Toyota’s man said that it’s a merger of words from Greek mythology and German. In Greek mythology; Charis represents a symbol of love and style, Toyota has removed the “CH” with “YA” which means ‘YES’ in German hence representing the superficial reaction of European markets to the styling of Yaris. When we researched about the name Corolla, we found it a bit complex as it is represents the inner most ring in the centre of flower.
Many names are still mysterious, to explore them visit Toyota UK.
