Marketing Flops
When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was apparently unaware that "no va" means
"it won't go." After the company figured out why it wasn't selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to
the Caribe.
Ford had a similar problem in Brazil when the Pinto flopped. The company found out that Pinto was Brazilian
slang for "tiny male genitals". Ford pried all the nameplates off and substituted Corcel, which means horse.
Accident Excuses
Following are actual statements found on insurance forms where car drivers attempt to summarize the details
of an accident in the fewest words possible. These instances of faulty writing serve to confirm that even incompetent writing
may be highly entertaining.
- The other car collided with mine without giving warning of its intentions.
- I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way.
- A pedestrian hit me and went under my car.
- The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.
- In an attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a telephone pole.
- I had been shopping for plants all day and was on my way home. As I reached an intersection, a hedge sprang
up, obscuring my vision and I did not see the other car.
- I had been driving for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident.
- I was on my way to the doctor with rear end trouble when my universal joint gave way causing me to have an
accident.
- As I approached the intersection a sign suddenly appeared in a place where no stop sign had ever appeared
before. I was unable to stop in time to avoid the accident.
- To avoid hitting the bumper of the car in front, I struck the pedestrian.
- My car was legally parked as it backed into the other vehicle.
- An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car and vanished.
- I told the police that I was not injured, but on removing my hat, found that I had a fractured skull.
- I was sure the old fellow would never make it to the other side of the road when I struck him.
- The pedestrian had no idea which direction to run, so I ran over him.
- I saw a slow-moving, sad-faced old gentleman as he bounced off the roof of my car.
- The indirect cause of the accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth.
- The telephone pole was approaching. I was attempting to swerve out of its way, but it still hit my front
end.
Bumper Stickers
Eat Well, Stay Fit, Die Anyway.
My Child Can Beat Up Your Honor Student.
I Love Cats, they taste just like Chicken.
Cats Flattened While You Watch.
I May Be Fat but You're Ugly - and I Can Lose Weight.
Stamp Out Crime - Abolish the IRS
Stupid People Shouldn't Breed.
Shave the Whales.
I'm From the Government. I'm Here to Help You.
Old Skiers Never Die. They Just go Downhill.
Money Isn't Everything, But it Sure Keeps the Kids In Touch.
Illiterate? Call This Number for Help...
Welcome to Colorado - Now Go Home
I'm OK. You're So-So.
Use Caution in Passing - Driver Chewing Tobacco
Ask First If The Animal Wants To Be Killed
Don't Honk - I'm Pedaling as Fast as I Can
If You Can Read This Bumper Sticker, You're In Range
This Vehicle Swerves and Hits Pedestrians at Random
Black Holes Suck.
Help Stamp Out Bumper Stickers
You need a new car when . . .
- You pull over to let a fire truck go by, and it stops behind you.
- You have to go to a repair center every thousand miles to get the duct tape replaced.
- You accidentally drive into a junkyard, drive out, and get accused of stealing.
- The Blue Book lists your car under "Health Risk."
- You return to your car and find someone broke in and left a hundred dollars and a new stereo.
The Blonde Learned It
Joe was quite irritated when his blonde wife, Cindy, told him that a car had back into her's, damaging the fender,
and she had failed to get the license number.
"Well, honey, what kind of car was it?" asked Joe.
"I don't know," confessed Cindy. "I've never been able to tell one make of car from another."
Hearing this, Joe decided the time had come for him to give Cindy a course in indentifying cars. For the next several
days, whenever he and Cindy were out driving together, he made her identify each car they passed until he was satisfied that
she could recognize every make.
Joe's course worked. A week later, Cindy bounded into Joe's office, beaming from ear to ear. "Darling, I just hit a Chevy,"
she announced.
Grouchy License Picture
When I went to get my driver's license renewed, our local motor vehicle bureau was packed. The line inched along for almost
an hour until the man ahead of me finally got his license. He inspected his photo for a moment and commented to the clerk,
"I was standing in line so long, I ended up looking pretty grouchy in this picture."
The woman beside him peered over his shoulder, then reassured him, "It's okay. That's how you're going to look when the
cops pull you over anyway."
Think if People act w/Cars like they do w/Computers
HELPLINE: "General Motors HelpLine, how can I help you?" CUSTOMER: "I got in my car and closed the door, and nothing
happened!" HELPLINE: "Did you put the key in the ignition slot and turn it?" CUSTOMER: "What's an ignition?" HELPLINE:
"It's a starter motor that draws current from your battery and turns over the engine." CUSTOMER: "Ignition? Motor?
Battery? Engine? How come I have to know all of these technical terms just to use my car?" ---------------------------------------
HELPLINE:
"General Motors HelpLine, how can I help you?" CUSTOMER: "My car ran fine for a week, and now it won't go anywhere!" HELPLINE:
"Is the gas tank empty?" CUSTOMER: "Huh? How do I know!?" HELPLINE: "There's a little gauge on the front panel, with
a needle, and markings from 'E' to 'F.' Where is the needle pointing?" CUSTOMER: "It's pointing to 'E.' What does that
mean?"
HELPLINE: "It means that you have to visit a gasoline vendor, and purchase some more gasoline. You can install it yourself,
or pay the vendor to install it for you." CUSTOMER: "What!?" I paid $12,000. for this car! Now you tell me that
I have to keep buying more components? I want a car that comes with everything built in!"
Car Trouble
Jill's car was unreliable and she called John for a ride every time it broke down.
One day John got yet another one of those calls. "What happened this time?" he asked.
"My brakes went out," Jill said. "Can you come to get me?"
"Where are you?" John asked.
"I'm sitting inside the drugstore," Jill responded.
"And where's the car?" John asked.
Jill replied, "Oh, it's in here with me."
The Company Car
Accelerates at a phenomenal rate. Has a much shorter braking distance than the private car. Can take speed humps
at twice the speed of private cars. The battery, radiator water, oil and tires never have to be checked. It can be
driven up to 60 miles with the oil warning light flashing. It needs cleaning less often than private cars. The suspension
is reinforced to allow for the weekend loads of bricks, concrete slabs and other building material. Unusual and alarming
engine noises are easily eliminated by turning up the radio. It needs no security system and may be left anywhere,
unlocked and with the keys in the ignition.
Old Women
Two elderly women were out driving in a large car, both women barely large enough to see over the dashboard. As they cruised
along, they came to an intersection. The stoplight was red but they just went on through. The woman in the passenger seat
thought to herself, I must be losing it, I could have sworn we just went through a red light.
After a few more minutes, they came to another intersection, the light was red, and again they went right through. This
time, the passenger was almost sure that the light had been red, but was also concerned that she might be seeing things. She
was getting nervous and decided to pay very close attention. At the next intersection, sure enough, the light was definitely
red and they went right through it.
She turned to the other woman on her right and said, "Mildred! Did you know we just ran through three red lights in a row?
You could have killed us!"
Mildred turned to her and cried, "Holy Crap! Am I driving?"
Very Fast
On the way, a car zoomed by and the tourist responded, "Ohhh! TOYOTA!! Made in Japan!! Very fast!"
Not too long afterward, another car flew by the taxi.
"Ohh! NISSAN!! Made in Japan!! Very fast!"
Yet another car zipped by, and the tourist said, "Ohh! Mitsubishi!! Made in Japan!! Very fast!"
The taxi driver, who was 100% American, was starting to get a little miffed that the Japanese made cars were passing his
Chevy, when yet another car passed the taxi as they were turning into the airport.
"Ohh! Honda!! Made in Japan!! Very fast!"
The taxi driver stopped the car, pointed to the meter, and said, "That'll be $150."
"$150? It was so short a ride! Why so much?"
"Taxi meter. Made in Japan. Very fast."
Acronyms
ACURA Always Crumbling Under Real Acceleration Another Crummy, Useless, Rotten Automobile Awful,Crappy,Unreliable,
Rusty Automobile A Car Under Recall Action
AMC All Makes Combined A Mutated Car Another Major Catastrophe
AUDI Always Unsafe Designs Implemented Automobile Unsafe Designs, Inc.
BEETLE Battered Everywhere, Expect To Lose Engine
BMW Beautiful Masterpieces on Wheels Beautiful Mechanical Wonder Big Money Waste Big Money. Why? Big
Money Works Born Moderately Wealthy Bought My Wife Break My Windows Break My Windshield Bring Many Wrenches
Broken Money Waster Broke My Wallet
Behold My Wealth
BUICK Big Ugly Imitation Chrome King Big Ugly Import Car Killer Big Ugly Indestructible Compact Killer
CADILLAC Crazy And Demented Idiots Like Large American Cars
CHEVROLET Car Has Extensive Valve Rattle On Long Extended Trips Cheap, Hardly Efficient, Virtually Runs On Luck
Every Time Cracked Heads, Every Valve Rattles, Oil Leaks Every Time Can Hear Every Valve Rap On Long Extended Trips
Constantly Having Every Vehicle Recalled Over Lousy Engineering Techniques Crappy Hot-running Engines, Valves Rattling
On, Losing Every Time
CHRYSLER Could Have Remained Your Sickly Lame Elderly Relative's
CHEVY Cheapest Heap Ever Viewed Yet Cruddy Hick Engine, Very Yucky
DATSUN Don't Always Trust Stupid Unreliable Nips Disgracful Auto That Stalls UNceasingly
DODGE Dead On Delivery Gas Eater Drips Oil Drops, Grease Everywhere Darn Old Dirty Gas Eater Dead On
Day Guarantee Expires Dead On Delivery - Go Easy Driven Only During Grey Evenings
EDSEL Every Day Something Else Leaks
FIAT Failure In Automotive Technology Fix It All the Time Foolish Italians Attempt at Transportation Fix
It Again, Tony! Found In A Trench Fails In Attempted Turns Friggin' Italians Ain't Trustworthy
FORD Fastest On Road, Duh! First On Race Day Fastest Of Racing Devices Found On Redneck's Driveway
Found on Road Dead
GEO Good Engineering Overlooked
GM General Maintenance Generally Misunderstood Garbage Motors Generally Miserable Gluteus Maximus
GMC Garage Man's Companion Generally Mediocre Cars Got More Crap? Got Mechanic Coming? Gods Mechanical
Curse Get More Chicks
GTO Get Tools Out
HONDA Had One, Never Did Again Happy Owners Never Driver Anything else How Odd-No Damn Acceleration Heck
Of A Nice Darn Automobile Heavily Overpriced Non Domestic Automobile Hand Over New Dollars to Asians
HYUNDAI How Your Usual Nerd Drives An Import Hope You Understand Nothing's Drivable And Inexpensive
IROC I Run Over Children I'd Rather Own a Corvette Id rather own a Chevette Italian Retard Out Cruising
I Reek Of Cologne Its Really Only a Camaro It's Really Only Crap I Roll On Corners Im Really Out of Cash
JEEP Just Eats Every Part Junk Engines, Engineered Poorly Junk Electrical and Emissions Parts Jump Excitedly
in Every Pothole. Jinxed Engine has Extra Parts Jumps Everything Ever Parked JUST Enough Engine Power? Junk
Engineering Executed Poorly
KIA Killed In Accident
LOTUS Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious
MAZDA Most Always Zipping Dangerously Around
MERCEDES Most Eccentric Rich Capitalists Enjoy Driving Expensive Sedans Most Every Red Cent Eventually Dissipates,
Extinguishing Savings
MITSUBISHI Mostly Inexperienced Teenagers Souping Up Bashed-In Sedans Having Inline-4s Mostly In The Shop Undergoing
Big Investments, Sometimes Halfway Incomplete
MOPAR Miscellaneous Oddball Parts Assembled Ridiculously Most Often Passed At Races Mostly Old Parts And
Rust My Old Pig Ain't Running My Only Problems Are Repairs Many Odd Parts Arranged Randomly Move Over, Plymouth
Approaching Rapidly Mitsubishi's Over Priced American Replicars
NISSAN Nine Idiots Standing, Saying Absolutly Nothing Needless Innovations, Silly, Stupid, Automotive Nonsense
Now In Some Shitty Automobile Nightmare Nasty Import Sucks Savings Away to Nippon Never In Synch Screeching Awful
Noises Needs Imminent Salvage So Abandon Now
Nismo is Stupid Shit Amateurs Need
OLDS Oil Leak, Dead Starter
OLDSMOBILE Oh, Look, Dammit! Some Massive Oil Burning Idiot's Leaking Everything. Obese Losers Driving Slowly
Make Others Behind Infuriatingly Late Every day. Old Loose Dented Sheet Metal Out-dated By Infamies Like Edsel. Overpriced,
Leisurely Driven Sedan Made Of Buick's Irregular Leftover Equipment Old Ladies Drive Slow - Mostly Over Bridges Into Lake
Erie Old Ladies Driving Slowly Make Others Behind Infuriatingly Late Every Day
PINTO Put In Nickel To Operate Paid Inspector Nicely To Overlook Put In New Transmission Often
PONTIAC Poor Old Ninny Thinks Its A Cadillac Puts Out Noxious Toxins In All Cities People On Narcotics Think
It's A Chevy Pull Over Now, The Injectors Are Cooked
PORSCHE Piece Of Retired Scrap, Continuously High Expense Proof Of Rich Spoiled Children Having Everything Probably
Obtained Recently Since Car-owner Hocked Everything Puts Out Really Smoky Carbonate Hazardous Emissions Phased Out
Racer-Still Can't Hold Engine Please Overlook Really Sh*tty Cardboard Horrible Engine Pulled Over Regularly So Cops
Have Enough Pathetic Or Really Stupid Car for Home and is Expensive Push Our Real Sh*t Car Home Everyday
PEUGEOT Poorly Engineered, Useless Gas Eating Obnoxious Toilet
RENAULT Rabid European Nitwits Always Use Lame Transportation Retarded Engine No Acceleration Ugly Lump of Trash
SAAB Send Another Automobile Back Such An Arrogant Bastard Swedish Automobiles Always Breakdown. Swedish
Automobile Always Broken Swedish Automobiles Are Beastly Swedish Automobiles Are Best Slow And Always Busted Sad
Attempt At Beauty Sorry Auto, Always Broken Saabs Are Always Broken Some Accessory Always Broken
SUBARU Screwed Up Beyond All Repair Usually
TOYOTA Too Often Yankees Overprice This Auto Torturous On Your Old Tired Ass Towed Often, Yearly Overrunning
Triple A Taking Our Yen Out -- Thanks All Take Only Your Ordure To America
TRIUMPH This Really Is Unreliable Man, Please Help! Tried Repairing It Until My Parts Hurt! The Risk In
Useless Machinery Pays Heavily The Risk Involving Useless Machinery Pays Heavily The Risk In Useless Machinery Pays
Heavily Trembling Ride, Intrusive Undercarriage, Meekly Powered Hotrod.
VOLKSWAGEN Very Obese Losers Knowingly Suffer With All German Engineered Nonsense
VOLVO Very Odd Looking Vehicular Object
VW Virtually Worthless Very Whimpy Very Whiney
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