Alfa Romeo Milano causes controversy because of its name – Radio SRF 3

An Italian car made in Poland

The first electric car from the traditional brand should really be called “Milano” instead of “Junior”. But Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso intervened. The name “Milano” is illegal because the SUV is produced in Poland and not Italy and consumers are misled by the “Italian sounding” name.

Although the car company Stellantis was convinced that the name “Milano” met all the legal criteria, the company decided to change the name “in the interest of mutual understanding,” according to an official statement.

Naming names is often frowned upon

The Italian car brand isn’t the only one making headlines because of an unsuccessful car name. Famous companies have already caused a stir in the past.

But why do even the big international companies make mistakes when it comes to naming their car models? “Naming is often underappreciated,” says advertising writer Manfred Gotta, who has created many car names for himself. In recent years he has invented the names Vectra, Actros, Twingo, Smart, Cayenne and Panamera, among others.

Different products – different mistakes

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Toyota MR2

MR2 is pronounced in French as “merde” German: “Scheisse”.

IMAGO/Betto Rodrigues

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Fiat Uno

Previous example of…

Images by IMAGO/Pond5

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…Fiat Punto, which had a new name from 1995.

Images by IMAGO/Pond5

Gotta himself has never made a mistake, but mistakes can happen quickly. “Companies often create a code word that gets a name – without checking again if the name has the wrong meaning.”

Uno becomes Punto

This is what happened in Fiat Uno, for example. In fact, the name should indicate that it has what it takes to be number 1. In Finland, however, the little Italian remained a slow seller. There, “Uuno” colloquially means “fool.” The Uno was eventually followed by its successor the Punto in 1995.

To prevent this, Gotta takes enough time to create new product names. Up to two months “to get some distance from the product and be able to reevaluate,” says Gotta. This is also the reason why he can only accept a maximum of 40 orders per year.

A name for all emotions

Listening to what the customer wants is the be-all and end-all for a developer named Gotta and only then can he fully engage with the product. “To do that, I let myself be locked in the car and I have to be alone,” says Gotta, “I lie in front of it, I sit in it, I smell it, I touch it.” This is the only way he can get a pleasant experience what the end customer should get.

The name should be unique, meaning the same thing in all countries, and not ready to exist.

With the help of independent traders and group discussions, prospective names are then tested and confirmed through research. “The name should be unique, meaning the same thing in all countries, and not ready to exist.”

Finally there are about 15 names on the table. “And that’s the hardest part; make it my personal recommendation.” It has a lot to do with emotion, says Gotta. Customers pay him up to 150,000 francs for this emotion.