List No. 119
UTOPIAN TURTLE-TOP
Marianne Moore
1955
In 1955, while attempting to find a name for their hugely anticipated new car, Ford decided to approach the most unlikely of people to assist in the matter: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Marianne Moore. Moore, who was known by the wife of one Robert Young, an employee in the car manufacturer’s marketing research department, was soon contacted by letter; she agreed to help and proceeded to supply them with numerous lists of delightful names, all of which are compiled here, ordered chronologically. Her final suggestion, sent to Young on December 8th, was the amazing, “Utopian Turtle-top”.
Incredibly, Ford ignored all of Moore’s ideas and instead named their new car, “Edsel”. It flopped.
The Ford Silver Sword
Hirundo
Aerundo
Hurricane Hirundo (swallow)
Hurricane Aquila (eagle)
Hurricane Accipter (hawk)
The Impeccable
Symmechromatic
Thunderblender
The Resilient Bullet
Intelligent Bullet
Bullet Cloisonné
Bullet Lavolta
The Intelligent Whale
The Ford Fabergé
The Arc-en-Ciel (the rainbow)
Arcenciel
Mongoose Civique
Anticipator
Regna Racer (couronne à couronne) sovereign to sovereign
Aeroterre
Fée Rapide (Aérofee, Aéro Faire, Fée Aiglette, Magi-faire) Comme Il Faire
Tonnere Alifère (winged thunder)
Aliforme Alifère (wing-slender, a-wing)
Turbotorc (used as an adjective by Plymouth)
Thunderbird Allié (Cousin Thunderbird)
Thunder Crester
Dearborn Diamante
Magigravure
Pastelogram
Regina-Rex
Taper Racer
Taper Acer
Varsity Stroke
Angelastro
Astranaut
Chaparral
Tir à l’arc (bull’s eye)
Cresta Lark
Triskelion (three legs running)
Pluma Piluma (hairfine, feather-foot)
Adante con Moto (description of a good motor?)
Turcotinga (turqoise cotinga—the cotinga being a South-American finch or sparrow) solid indigo
