It has been known for many years that when selecting names of products, particularly models of cars, in countries other than the country of manufacture, care should be taken to ensure that the name selected does not mean something detrimental to the product and off putting to potential customers.
Sometimes car manufacturers get it right such as a Mercedes in China which becomes “Benchi” meaning “to race” or “go at a gallop” and BMW becomes “Bao-ma” which means “treasure horse”.
However, examples of getting it wrong include the Vauxhall Nova in Spain where “nova” means “does not go”! Similarly, the Fiat Uno was not successful because “uno” in Finnish means “idiot”. And finally, the Ford Fiera was not popular in Spanish-speaking countries where “fiera” can mean “ugly old woman”.
This just proves how important it is to take the time to check the translation is correct in order to avoid costly mistakes.
