I have noticed a disappointing trend that is going on in automotive naming, there seems to be less and less names every year – its all numbers or numeric now.

Three-something, or LX something or other, Q7, RDX, MDX, X6, X5, 545 and CX are just a few that leave me thinking of faceless vehicles.

Letters and numbers – like I put in the byline – have no feeling, no personality. You can’t say, “Oh, there’s a great 450 SD!” It just doesn’t have the same effect as, say…Mustang.

These days, manufacturers need all the help they can get, and I think names aren’t getting their due when it comes to how important a name can be. It creates an aura, a start from which a legend can be born. Let me give you a few names, see what you think; AC Shelby Cobra, Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, Lamborghini Diablo, Plymouth Barracuda, Rolls-Royce Phantom and DeSoto Firedome.

Okay, maybe not so much on the Firedome, but it was a great name.

When I say Acura RDX what do you think of? Probably not much, as it might be fairly common that you couldn’t mentally picture a RDX. Now, if I mention Camaro, even if you are not a GM fan, you know what it is, and what it looks like.

I’m not sure what happened to Acura, but they went from Legend and Integra to RSX to TL, RL and poof, the ‘legend’ was gone. I guess I could argue that Honda/Acura was being on the safe side, as some of the names weren’t really that good. I remember seeing a Honda CRV with “Comfortable Road Vehicle” on the spare tire carrier. There was also a thing called Honda Life Dunk…enough said.

Nissan uses names, Cube, Titan and of course the Z, which flies right into the point I am trying to make. The Z is a legend – not the Acura type – based on years of branding, and it can get away with just being a Z.

The Germans are an orderly bunch, BMW has the 3, 5, and 7 series, and of course all the performance models get the M. Audi will be running out of numbers soon…A3, A4, A5 and A8…they might have to go to B-something soon, oh, wait, that is Mercedes. Maybe C’s, nope, Merc also.

Those Italians got it figured out…the Enzo, the Dino, Maserati Quattroporte – proof positive that the Italians can give something a romantic name and we all love it, think calamari. Quattroporte in English is four doors.

I really wish that manufacturers would get back to names, give their products a personality. Let them take on a life, let them live.

I am going to offer up some help, after all, it’s rude to bash someone and not at least offer some help. So, with that in mind I have come up with some great names for future models from some of the ‘numberers’ (Is that a word?)

The first one is easy, Honda is coming out with a CR-Z next year. Let’s change that to a Cruz, or maybe a Craze, give it some friggin’ personality! Its cool, hip and youth orientated, so give it a name. I think the next big BMW should be called the Land Glider, oh, wait, Nissan has that. Okay, how about the BMW ‘Executive’ for the big 7-series. Audi, now that it is basically out of A’s, can call the next generation A3, the Audi Commute, what’s wrong with that, Ford has a Transit?

All it takes is a little time and effort to come up with a proper name that reflects the personality of the vehicle. It’s not really too much to ask, and history shows us that great names can help a brand and that brand’s personality in the eyes of the general public.

Plus, how cool is it to go to your next dinner party and say, “Yeah, I just got a new Supercharged Jaguar Wild.”

Of course, some cars can get by without a name. See photo above!

R Bond 007 out!