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- YSSMAN
Answer me this then. Lets say, theoretically of course, the new Camaro comes back as a FWD V6 sedan. You'd be ok with that right, because the name is what brings people in??? I mean, no one cares that it used to be a fun coupe with lots of power and attitude. It would be fine as a timid sedan, because people totally LOVE the name Camaro.
Or, again theoretically, what if Jaguar were to come out with a new 4-door wagon, and they called it the E-Type. The name is all that matters, so that would be fine, right??? I mean, the original E-Type is one of the greatest cars of all time. That name alone would sell the hell out of some wagons.
Forgive me if I don't agree with you.
Hilg
I know what you are talking about and I can see where you are comming from, but you are going beyond rational thinking here. Although Ford nearly replaced the Mustang with the FWD Probe (although it is questionable if it would have been the Mustang or the Probe), it never happened. Why? Ford was smart and saw what would happen if they did. General Motors, or even DaimlerChrysler for that matter are smart enough not to completely destroy what a particular name represents... Although Chrysler does have a history of throwing names like Daytona, Charger, Duster, etc around.
Being sensible, most automakers work things out quite well when it comes to reviving a nameplate from the past. Granted there are plenty of examples which may not have lived up to it's predecessors that carried the same name, there are many that have done well overall.
What it comes down to is copyrights, marketing, and product recognition. While a name like "Avenger" may not ring through the halls of everyone's mind, the name does hold a special place in many Mopar fan's hearts. The switch to the Stratus permanantly wasn't a good thing, and the switch back to Avenger brings some more "ooph" to the model as a whole.
...Now it could be argued that they could have come up with a better name, but would you care to suggest one? Often times it takes months to develop a new name for a car or truck, particularly one that will sit well with the public (take the LaCrosse as an example, wouldn't fly in Canada)... Why not go with a name that has some meaning, is flexible, and won't require massive ammounts of campaigning?
Throwing names around for naming sake isn't a good thing, but when you are building a car that is both pysically and spiritually the successor to the given model, why come up with something entirely new? The Avenger may not live up to your standards as a car with two-doors only, but given that DCX likes to bend the rules, they sould be plenty successful selling the car both in two-door and four-door formats, Avenger name included.