Naming cars is hard

In light of the kerfuffle between Stellantis, owner of the Jeep brand, and the Cherokee Nation, whose chief, Chuck Hoskin, Jr., told Car and Driver that the Stellantis marque really ought to give up the name “Cherokee” for its Grand Cherokee and Cherokee vehicles as a matter of respect, we thought we would bring you names that poet Marianne Moore came up with for Ford in 1955 when it was searching for a name for what would become the Edsel.

Here are some of them, cited by Poetry Foundation (where else?):

Hurricane Accipter
The Impeccable
Symmechromatic
Thunderblender
The Resilient Bullet
Intelligent Bullet
Bullet Cloisoné
Bullet Lavolta
The Intelligent Whale
The Ford Fabergé
The Arc-en-Ciel
Arcenciel
Mongoose Civique
Anticipator
Regna Racer
Aeroterre
Fée Rapide

Moore’s final suggestion: Utopian Turtletop.

If you think about it, “Anticipator” would be a good name for a Level 2+ or higher autonomous vehicle.

Incidentally: Moore was no poetic slouch. Among her many writing awards are the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.–gsv