Sometimes, a car’s name accurately captures its spirit. Diablo. Testarossa. Golf. Okay, maybe not the last one. There are plenty of examples; even Silverado makes my list of machines whose identity matches the name carved into its trunk lid (or tailgate).
There are definitely some, though, that absolutely do not. This leads us to today’s question: what car (or truck) do you think is least likely to be found in the part of the world that bears its name?
First to mind? Corsica. A mundane sedan peddled by The General for nearly a decade from 1987 to 1996, it was the perfect four-door solution to insomnia, particularly equipped with the four-cylinder engine and a slushbox. On paper, V6 versions were sold with GM’s venerable 3.1-liter under the hood, an engine whose exhaust note ripped through the air with a distinctive roar. (I can attest to this – Ed.)
I’ve seen few in the wild, even when new. I can’t imagine seeing any at all in, y’know, actual Corsica.
The Dodge Monaco is another example, as I severely doubt any of the large-and-in-charge rear-drive versions could have even fit on the streets of Monaco, let alone navigate them. The rare-as-hen’s-teeth twin to the Eagle Premier, produced for four model years, is the exception, given it was loosely related to various Renault offerings as a result of the strange AMC/Renault/Chrysler love triangle of the era.
What others can you think of, B&B? We’ve started you with two — Corsica and Monaco — and now it’s your turn to rhyme off a few machines that will never turn a wheel in the part of the world for which they are named.
[Image: Murilee Martin/ TTAC]
Easy: the Monte Carlo.
Ambiguous: any Oldsmobile “International Trim” outside North America.
Saturn.
But they did have a good Vue of Saturn, no?
Yeah they did have a good Vue. It was such a pretty Outlook
But you had a good Vue of the Sky as you looked for Saturn.
… especially with that big moonroof.
I’ll help Relay this Astral message.
I mean… this is pretty much the answer, other than Mercury, maybe. But Mercury’s closer so theoretically Saturn would be less likely.
I was going to say the Comet…But we have landed a probe on a comet so that makes it more likely than Saturn I suppose.
Galaxy, or Nova.
Pretty sure if you are going to see a Galaxy (or a Galaxie) anywhere it’s going to be in a galaxy.
Dammit. I was so excited to post this.
Probably won’t find a Monza in Monza
Yeah ya would – Opel Monza.
Did the Monte Carlo go to Monte Carlo?
No, but Herbie did. For some reason Mr. Furley went along with him.
Stratus & Cirrus?
Good luck finding El Dorado to see if there’s an Eldorado there.
Dodge Monaco
EDIT: Dangit already mentioned right in the article!
But possibly a Morris Monaco, the name given to the Morris 1100 in The Netherlands.
Once we’re done making America great again, we could get someone to make it super again. Then it’d be spot on for some ferraris.
A Chevy Orlando in Florida??
That one’s probably happened already, thanks to Canadian tourists.
When I was a kid (1982) we went to Ruskin, which is on Tampa Bay south of Tampa. All the way down, and back, the license plate we counted the most (because that was the fun thing to do back then) was Ontario. The joke became, “Ontario! Again?”
Chrysler Cordoba?
Nova. I mean if there were any Nova’s on a star they wouldn’t be there after said star blew up.
Instead of the Nova SS, why didn’t they call it the Super Nova? Lol
Not many Corollas or Coronas on the sun.
Ford Torino and Granada
Not a Torino, no, but there were American and European Granadas, unrelated so fas as I know, so a Granada in Granada would have been plausible in the 1980s or 1990s. Nowadays, not so much.
Oh yeah…a couple of articles down…Volare and Aspen
Considering I drove a Dodge Aspen through Aspen, CO almost 40 years ago, I’d have to say the Aspen doesn’t qualify in this list. The Volaré on the other hand…
Pontiac LeMans and Bonneville.
And Parisienne.
No Grand Prix running at Le Grande Prix…
Parisienne – Paris, Texas.
I’m sure if you took a drive down I-80 between Salt Lake and Wendover (across the Bonneville Salt Flats), you’d see a Bonnie or two. I’d bet money on it.
The Nissan Titan.
There have been plenty of Plymouths in Plymouth, and Colorados in Colorado, and Tuscons in Tuscon… but not many Morris Marinas at the marina.
On our first family holiday to Florida we had a Chevy Corsica as a rental car. It blew our British minds that such a large car could be considered “compact”.
The Corsica *was* sold in mainland Europe. I’ve seen a couple in mainland France and Holland. It’s possible that there might be a surviving Corsica in Corsica!
I knew a guy (internet buddies) in Poland who had a Chevy Corsica and loved it. He was very interested in American cars, I think he said he had some Oldsmobile previously, can’t remember what model, year etc. Its been a very long time since I’ve talk to him.
I’ve seen a Corsica in the Netherlands. It is possible there’s one in Corsica.
Monaco – mentioned above
Granada
Malibu
(Edsel) Bermuda (that was the wagon version)
Kia Rio
Ford Granada
Renault Alaskan (stupid chicken tax)
Renault 21 Nevada
Ford Cortina (though it’s possible)
The original Ford Cortina was launched in Cortina.
Jim Clark drove one down the bobsled track I believe.
Staying with the Ford theme, anyone know if there were any Escort Mexico’s sold in Mexico ?
VW’s current California camper van in California
Yukon Denali. Six million acres, one road, not open to the public.
Skoda Rapid on some rapids? Skoda Kodiaq on a kodiak? Skoda Octavia on Caesar’s sister?
I’d like to see pictures of that last one.
[Cadillac Eldorado] Biarritz.
[Cadillac] Seville.
[Chrysler] Cordoba.
[Kia] Rio.
[Porsche] Panamera.
Edited to add: [Volvo] Amazon.
And my personal winner is: [Ford] Everest.
Honorable mention: Plenty of Euro-only VW special editions, e.g. [Volkswagen Golf] Chicago or Madison.
Granada and Monza don’t count, there were European cars of that name by Ford and Opel/Vauxhall, respectively.
I think there might be one Alfa Romeo Montreal in Montreal.
Mercury Milan
Maybe they meant Milan, NM? :-P
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan,_New_Mexico
Or, maybe even more likely, Milan (pronounced MY-lan), Michigan.
Milan, IN (also MY-lan). In 1954, the very small town won the state basketball championship. It’s what the movie “Hoosiers” is based on.
Speaking of small towns in western NM, I could totally see VW coming out with a crossover called Vanderwagen.
Vanderwagen, almost as on the nose for a vehicle name as Caravan (car-a-van).
There’s one in Illinois too, they also can’t pronounce it Italian-style.
In Japanese the Marai means future. We wont be seeing the cars there.
Oldsmobile Antares. Not even Elon Musk can send it 619.7 light years away.
http://oldconceptcars.com/wp-content/uploads/oldsmobile_antares_2.jpg
Probably won’t find any VW Routans in the Routan Islands (off the NORTH coast of Siberia).
A Camry in Cymry? Close enough, eh?
A Holden Calais in Calais would be a rare sight, and a Holden Belmont has likely never been spotted in Belmont. And a Frontera on the border would be just spectacular.
The Oldsmobile Calais later to be added to the Cutlass line as Cutlass Calais.
There was the Cadillac Calais from 65-70 which was the base trim level below the DeVillle.
I remember the ads: Yippy-ai-oh-Calais.
Not likely to find a Torana in Tirana (same pronunciation). Not for want of trying though…
Theres not that many Kingswoods in Kingswood VA where the name comes from, although there was a trim level of the Chevette or something of that name.
A Plymouth Sapporo in Sapporo, Japan? I mean, you will see a Mitsu Galant, but I don’t think any Sapporos made it over there.
I also doubt there are many Lincoln Continentals on the (European) continent.
Because Europe is the only continent in the world?
There is zero doubt that “Continental” as used on Lincolns is meant to evoke the European continent, the place of Sophistication and Sensibility.
Not true, I saw a dove gray 76-79 Continental Town Car cruising down Bahnhofstrasser in Zürich. A moment later I spotted a black Subaru SVX traveling east on Uraniastrasse. Good times.
C’mon… ASPEN !
Been there, Fenway… with a ’79 Aspen.
I’d say that ’79 Aspen was the only car MORE out of place in Aspen than my ’03 LeSabre was a few years back.
That 318 c.i.d. V8 did pretty well for it though… once you ignored that top quart of oil.
Handling could have been better, but it was a surprisingly comfortable coupe, for a mid-size (now full-size by today’s standards.) All black with beige Landau vinyl top and beige Velour interior.
Nope, my sister drove her 1963 Rambler through Aspen.
Along with there being no Monacos or Monte Carlos along the Riviera, there were likely few to no Rivieras there either!
Might be surprised…I bet more than a few of those ’63-’65s made it over to Europe, and they’d look right at home on the Cote D’Azure
A Lincoln Versailles will never be in Versailles.
Pontiac anything pretty thin on the ground in Le Mans.
What if there was a tempest brewing?
A Chevrolet Bel Aire in Bel Aire. There might be a few there.
Same for the Biscayne in Key Biscayne.
I doubt that a Cadillac Fleetwood has ever graced the streets of Fleetwood, a rather obscure fishing port on the north west coast of England.
The Lincoln Versailles probably didn’t make it to its palace namesake either.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/volt-lounge-detroit
How many complicated, unreliable VW Touaregs have ever seen service in the West African desert (split between Libya, Algeria, Niger, and Mali) where the Tuareg peoples live?
Buick Riviera
Jeep Sahara edition.
You might find a Tundra on the tundra, but not ever see a Sequoia in a Sequoia.
My BT50 Mazda probably has the best acronym (naming convention).
BT means “Built in Thailand.
Someone got ahead on the Chevy Biscayne being somewhere near Biscayne Bay.
Hopefully a mate from Down Under can tell us how many Subaru Outbacks are actually in the…
Outback?