07.15.08
The fate of the Phaeton
Some elegant and educated words just do not fit for product lines. Especially mass
market consumer product lines. Naming your car the Phaeton has surely doomed its fate to some extent or other, especially in the US.
Wikipedia explains the origins as “The name Phaeton derives from Phaëton, the son of Phoebes and Helios in Greek mythology — and also a type of horse drawn carriage. So intellectually speaking, very smart. But try spelling it or saying it. Ouch.
I therefore award this name two bombs. One for spelling and one for pronunciation. Not to mention how it definitely does not sound like it belongs in the friendly family name collection of VW.
