Kate,
All regard to political correctness aside, I recall reading an article
proclaiming the Neon not only A "chick's car" but THE consumate chick's car.
I don't remember if they intended the car or the chick to be the object of
the term consumate.... That said,, apologies are tendered to anyone either
offended, or sufficiently gender-secure to drive one... All sorts of
gender-polarizing "don't even go there's" pop into my mind, so I'll check
them at the door....
I always thought that names like Henrietta, and Gertrude and
Hortense were perfect for cars like Austin Sevens, and varitoned ZB
Magnettes.. Tough old cars named after tough old dames (no offence intended,
grandma...)
Fifties Fords, and Mercs all chopped and channeled, frenched and
decked, sported monikers like Mimi, and Lola, and Gina and Betty Lou, and
Barbara Ann, in great flowing calligraphy on fender skirts, across
dashboards, and Continental kits. James Dean wasn't really a chopped and
channeled kind of guy, but the trend died with him. I recently spotted a 55
Plymouth Savoy 2 door, two tone green. A genuine mid-fifties custom with
C-L-A-U-D-I-A written in three different shades of green flamed script across
a pair of 5 foot long fender skirts.... This was two weeks ago at a
mid-winter rodfest. I'd venture a guess that C-L-A-U-D-I-A is probably in her
early sixties, still trying to live-down the advertising....
The sixties brought us the hippie movement, and microbuses named after
flowers, like Iris, Petunia, and Saffron..... While there were a few blurry
periods, once in a while I have a vivid flashback of waking up at the wheel
of a dark green VW beetle named Kermit....
The seventies gave us Cordobas with Corinthian leather, and John
Travolta's Greased Lightning... it wasn;t until the century nearly ended that
we had anything new on the road worthy of a name... For 71 and 72, I
campaigned a very competitive super stock drag car. Snow white with a yellow
top; christened it "Quick Grits". The name was a real fan pleaser from
Florida to Virginia. Any farther north, and the locals simply scratched their
heads....
Dodge Neon? Well, the name has at least one humorous implication
best left to the imagination...(think darkened motel rooms....) But, in
deference to the fact that it is THE chick's car (even the 150 hp version...)
and is making a road trip of somewhat epic proportion, how about something
appropriate to being on the road (or again)
- Kerouac if you're going to San Francisco...
- Kerault to start your journey on Sunday Morning....
- Dorothy (Lamour of "The Road to..." w/ Crosby & Hope") or Dorothy of
Yellowbrick Rd..
- Kermit's still a pretty cool name for a green car....
still in a quandary?
How about "OPEN" ? According to the National Neon Sign Council, it's the
most popular neon sign followed by CLOSED, then the NO and VACANCY combo
and in fourth place is DINER....
Mark Childers
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