But,..It Sounds Nicer Than "S**tty Lemons on Wheels!"

GM: Stop Calling Them 'Chevys'
Car giant tries to improve 'branding' by killing nickname

You can see the USA in your Chevrolet, but GM would rather if you stopped driving your “Chevy” to the levee or anywhere else. The company has sent out a memo to all its employees urging them to banish the ubiquitous nickname from their vocabularies. “We’d ask that whether you’re talking to a dealer, reviewing dealer advertiser, or speaking with friends and family, that you communicate our brand as Chevrolet,” the memo read.

The memo, which was sent to the New York Times by an outraged recipient, goes on to explain that they’re trying to tighten their branding consistency, something that “the most recognized brands throughout the world, such as Coke or Apple” focus heavily on. Which is pretty ironic, the Times notes, since “Coke” is a nickname for “Coca-Cola,” and no one uses the word “Apple” when describing their products. Also ironic: the Chevrolet website is still plastered with references to “Chevy.”

More American Know-How at Work!

Ford Posts $2.1 Billion Profit in First Quarter
Associated Press

Ford Motor Co. says it earned $2.1 billion in the first quarter, another sign the economy is improving as people spend more on big-ticket items like cars.

Ford's U.S. sales rose 37 percent for the quarter and its market share climbed nearly three percentage points. The automaker is benefiting from a rebound in auto sales, higher quality rankings and a boost to its reputation for avoiding government aid.

Toyota: Fast Cars, Slow Learning Curve

From Politico:

Toyota: Democrats 'not industry friendly'

Internal Toyota documents derided the Obama administration and Democratic Congress as “activist” and “not industry friendly," a revelation that comes days before the giant automaker's top executives testify on Capitol Hill amid a giant recall.


According to a presentation obtained under subpoena by the House Oversight and Government Relations committee, Toyota referred to the “changing political environment” as one of its main challenges and anticipated a "more challenging regulatory" environment under the Obama administration's purview.


This document, in addition to piles of other records, will be front and center this week as the Japanese automaker girds to face lawmakers hungry for answers about a recall that has the company teetering.