# Why are cars named after small Western towns and not big cities? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 3, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805 "2026-09-03T22:37:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/41 "2026-09-06T17:14:59Z")
I think that’s the answer. I was thinking that big cities might turn off people living in other places, like half the country wouldn’t buy a Los Angeles and the other half wouldn’t buy a Dallas. Maybe, but I bet you’re right that people buy cars thinking they’ll be able to escape their boring city life and explore some new unknown places. (No coincidence that escape and explorer are also car names.) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2026, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/42 "2026-09-08T15:42:09Z")
Ford’s Mercury line had the Milan, Monterey, and Montclair. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/43 "2026-09-09T20:56:34Z")
Increasingly, car names have to useable across the world, and not mean something rude in any language. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/44 "2026-09-09T22:51:40Z")
So… no Chevy “Belgium?” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/45 "2026-09-09T22:52:39Z")
I’d buy the Chevrolet Belgian Waffle. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/46 "2026-09-09T23:13:16Z")
> [@phs3](#): > > A family I know has two daughters, Sierra and Savanna. I joked (NOT to them!) that if they had a son, they’d obviously name him Jimmy. Coincidentally, so do i. But i don’t get your joke. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/47 "2026-09-09T23:18:59Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > But i don’t get your joke. Sierra and Savanna are models from GMC. GMC is also known as Jimmy. (At least, that’s what I think is the joke.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/48 "2026-09-09T23:19:17Z")
> [@Mk\_VII](#): > > Increasingly, car names have to useable across the world, and not mean something rude in any language. The story of the Chevy Nova is all Urban Legend, but carmakers have changed names- the Mitsubishi pajero is one example, but the other name changes I found were just for marketing. . ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/49 "2026-09-09T23:57:05Z")
GMC has/had a truck model called the JIMMY. That’s the joke. OK, maybe not a cereal-spitter. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/50 "2026-09-09T23:58:00Z")
O my. I knew the Pajero name had changed but assumed it was just because, not because reasons! Some wanker really screwed that one up. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/51 "2026-09-10T00:12:45Z")
Not really- you can not be expected to know what every word means in local slang. The word literally means someone who works with or sells straw (_paja_). But Mitsubishi named it after the Pampas cat- Leopardus pajeros, i.e. “cat who lives in the grass”. In some Spanish speaking nations it is a slang term for a plumber! > **[English Translation of “PAJERO” | Collins Spanish-English Dictionary](https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/spanish-english/pajero)** > > English Translation of “PAJERO” | The official Collins Spanish-English Dictionary online. Over 100,000 English translations of Spanish words and phrases. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Sponge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dark_sponge/32/121_2.png) [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/52 "2026-09-10T00:13:26Z")
I suspect in Tacoma’s case it had something to do with it being easy to pronounce in Japanese. But do you consider 200k a small town? ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/53 "2026-09-10T00:26:01Z")
> [@Dark\_Sponge](#): > > I suspect in Tacoma’s case it had something to do with it being easy to pronounce in Japanese. I dunno 'bout that. In the early '70s, Datsun (Nissan) made both the Laurel and Bluebird. Ever heard a native Japanese speaker try to say either of those? ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/54 "2026-09-10T00:44:06Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > you can not be expected to know what every word means in local slang No, but you can Google a word nowadays and find out about ones that are that common. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/55 "2026-09-10T04:02:41Z")
> [@phs3](#): > > No, but you can Google a word nowadays and find out about ones that are that common. I did google it, and until I added the word slang, I did not get any bad translations. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/56 "2026-09-10T04:34:08Z")
Huh. I did, right away. Go figure! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805/57 "2026-09-10T04:37:35Z")
Google keeps updating itself. That may be the reason, maybe we 'fixed" Google. 🙀 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cars-named-after-small-western-towns-and-not-big-cities/1032805.md?page=2)