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So, GM’s ban on use of the term “Chevy” hasn’t quite taken effect yet. Above is an image of the front page at Chevrolet.com, and clearly there are still a number of references to the old abbreviation. And no wonder: the term “Chevy” has been a mainstay of Chevrolet’s advertising from time immemorial… up until very recently, you could even catch Chevy ads that never used the whole word “Chevrolet.” We’ve assembled a few ads featuring the word “Chevy” throughout the years, and we present them now in memoriam of a convenient and iconic nickname.
So now the question becomes, what’s a Chevy? To me a Chevy should be the blue collar working man’s car. Well built, for a good price, not terribly luxurious (that’s what Buick is for), decent features for the money, but not available with every single option that you can get on a Buick or a Caddy. (If you can get all the same features on a Buick then what’s the point of Buick?) That’s what a Chevy or a Chevrolet should be. (But then I’m sure someone will rip me apart on how I’m wrong, but hey it’s only the internet, I can take it.)
X2
You forgot to add decent/attractive styling
I say let Buick go to China and allow Chevy to spread upmarket. This can be done without abandoning the “blue collar working man’s” market and will only help restore Chevrolet’s one-time rep for “well built for a good price”. It’s worked for Ford…to the point that Mercury was no longer necessary.
Thing is Buick is successful in China because it’s an American brand. I doubt they will have the same image if it’s discontinued in the US.
Bertel can throw more light into this than me.
Buick is successful in China because GM was the second large car company to start a joint venture after VW. (Not counting AMC and Jeep.) I don’t think it would hurt the Chinese a lot if the Buick brand would be discontinued in the US. The car nuts know from the magazines that modern Buicks are rebadged Opels, down to the platform number.
“I drove my Chevrolet to the levrolet but the levrolet was dry…..”
Ahhhh it doesn’t work, forget about it.
But try “Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet”
or “See the USA in your Chevrolet”
I think that these ads are interesting because they were the exception. The term Chevy was in very little advertising, and was NEVER on the car. Except for Chevy II, a name almost universally forgotten and replaced in public memory by Nova.
I thought it was “Football, Meatpies, Kangaroos and Holden cars”?
Why, oh WHY must my internet ALWAYS freeze when I click on one of these thumbnails! Anyone else having this incredibly frustrating and annoying problem with TTAC links and thumbnails? Please, PLEASE look into this problem, I’d like to see these things fullsize!
Unfortunately what you just described is a Hyundai.
Except the Azera (which is the worlds best Buick) and the Genesis Sedan (worlds best E-Class.)
Except I thought that the Avalon was the best Buick…:)
As for Chevrolet attempting to curb the use of the term “Chevy,” I actually think from a corporate stance, this is a good move. As others have said, one doesn’t see nicknames used in other ads for other companies (such as has been mentioned…like “Subie”). I’d still encourage owners and fans to call them “Chevy” as that implies a certain fondness of the vehicle. Let the official communications from GM keep with the Chevrolet theme and let those that own them (and actually, you know…like them!) call them Chevy.
I think that you have got this right. The public is free to continue to use Chevy as a nickname, but the manufacturer using it is unnecessary and can be ‘too cute’.
Like George Canstanza wanting to be “t-bone”.
whole thing has the sour smell of “Hummer” Docherty attached to it…Oh, she got banished to the Pacific rim area-my bad!
Speaking of the nickname for Chevrolet, I recently noticed something interesting while looking at online scans of Popular Science from the 1950s.
As far as I can tell, PopSci spelled it “Chevvy” (that’s right, two Vs) until the January 1956 issue, then adopted the spelling we’re familiar with today (“Chevy”) by the time the November 1956 “New Car Issue” rolled around. I’ve never seen that unusual spelling in any of Chevrolet’s print ads.
It also appears that the full, formal name (“Chevrolet”) was ALWAYS used by PopSci prior to the February 1950 issue.
I’m unwilling to draw a conclusion from one magazine’s practices, but I’m sure people used the nickname in conversation long before the term was accepted by the print media. It would be interesting to see when the name was first acknowledged by GM, and if the company’s public relations folks had anything to do with how and when the media (and its advertising agency) was first allowed to refer to the make as “Chev(v)y.”
I, too, remember seeing “Chevvy” in magazines of the 50’s. Strange.