x
RECEIVE BUSINESS TIMES FREE TO YOUR DOOR EACH MONTH, COURTESY OF ROYAL MAIL.
* indicates required

What’s in a name?

I STARTED off intending to write about what will be the car of the year in 2017 – the new Skoda Kodiaq, but managed to get sidetracked into researching cars with what seem to be "silly’ names.

Skoda themselves have a little history with the current Yeti drawing chuckles upon launch. The laughter very quickly faded however when the motoring public realised that it is actually a very good SUV. The Kodiaq, whilst not exactly tripping off the tongue, looks like it’s going to be a winner in every way this year. It compares fantastically well to the big Audi VW SUV cars Q5, Q7, Tiguan and gets very high-end equipment from the Audi VW stable. Try to see beyond the badge and if you read last month’s article about road fund increases, the Kodiaq will almost certainly come in under the ?40,000 threshold for the higher RFL level, which its competitors probably will not.

But, back to car names… on one list I found the Mitsubishi Pistachio didn’t make the top ten! There were names that meant one thing in the manufacturer’s language, usually Japanese and were completely obscene slang elsewhere in the world. You won’t search far on the internet to see what I mean. Names that appealed to me included the Isuzu P’up, Great Wall Wingle and the Mitsubishi Lettuce. How that beat the Pistachio I don’t know. And I think we should draw a discrete veil over the Daihatsu Scat or the Isuzu Light Dump!

The days would seem to be gone where a new car was named after Italian geographical areas; presumably they have all been taken. My very first company car was a Ford Cortina (SAH44W), which shows my age in case the photo doesn’t give it away. Then there was the Triumph Dolomite, another with Italian heritage, or so Triumph would have you believe! More mental meanderings then remind me of one of my favourite punk bands, Cortina and the Dolomites! I wonder if anyone will name a car after my current favourite band – Cabbage, probably not.

No matter the car name, from a Fiat 500 to a Ferrari, the team at Alpha Contracts can help you find it and fund it, so why not speak to one of the team at Alpha Contracts Leasing Limited on 01604 756620.

Safe motoring

Ross Williams

More economic advice & solutions articles: