Historiography: Turning The Page on Model Name Legacies

Some model names have a history that we often forget about. Others recall the “original” and often fondly remember when they were first conceived to the world. 

You might think this could be the job of someone like Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. to present a big book to an automotive manufacturer and present it on PBS. “Turn to the next page…” and oooh boy! A surprise waits for said executive to discover that the current model has an ancestor from the beginning of the development of the automobile. 

I figured I do a bit of ancestorial work to look at some of today’s models. Especially those that wonder why they were named such some generations ago. 

First, I will start with the Hornet. Currently, it is an Italian-assembled Dodge crossover built alongside the Alfa Romeo Tonale. Therefore, it offers a plug-in hybrid version as a compliance vehicle sold alongside the Charger, Challenger, and Durango. 

If we look back some 50 years, we will find that the Hornet name was applied to a “compact” sedan, hatchback, and “Sportwagon” sold by American Motors. The Hornet replaced the Rambler American, yet it utilized the same platform as its predecessor. It sported a more modern design inside and out when it debuted for the 1970 model year. 

The Hornet also shared a basic platform with the Gremlin. The Gremlin was a chopped version of the Hornet, sharing most of its interior and about two-thirds of the exterior of its larger sibling. That way, both the Hornet and Gremlin would offer the same drivelines underneath its long hood. 

One thing to note is that American Motors would eventually be absorbed into Chrysler in 1987. The latter would eventually end up being part of a larger group, known today as Stellantis. This is probably why the Hornet was reused for the new Italian-made Dodge crossover – in turn, Stellantis still owned the trademark for the model’s name. 

In-between the years of the last AMC Hornet – in 1977 – and the introduction of the current Dodge model, the name Hornet was teased as a new compact car for Dodge. There were a concept named Hornet that looked like a shrunken version of the Nitro SUV – a vehicle, itself shared with a rather forgettable Jeep at the time. 

The Hornet name was also part of a legacy that was absorbed into American Motors. In 1954, AMC was founded through a merger between Hudson and Nash-Kelvinator. As the merger was taking place, Hudson was producing the Hornet. 

The first Hudson Hornet appeared as they updated the “step-down” full-size models the company produced since the end of World War II. They were considered sleek for the time – a new design that automobile consumers either loved or hated. 

The body construction and the excellent in-line six-cylinder engine made for stock car racing. The Hornet racked up 48 wins in NASCAR through the early 1950s. That is how the Hornet’s name became synonymous with speed and style. It was indeed a huge step for the Hudson Motor Company to field a vehicle that broke convention – even in the face of the price wars between the more prominent automobile manufacturers of that time. 

The Hornet name stuck through a few generations. Including post-AMC merger until the end of the Hudson brand in 1957. At least that name was memorable enough to e applied to two subsequent vehicle offerings. 

Some model names come from familiar roots. When you look at the Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, and Toyota Crown, these are model names with long continuous history. That serve as constant reminders of their existence – especially in their home markets. 

Yet, nameplates, such as the Hornet, have broken histories. Names from the past that pop up in certain timelines that are often grandfathered intellectual properties traceable from their corporate past. 

Ford’s Maverick does not have the deep history as the Dodge Hornet, but it is a nameplate that began earlier in the company’s timeline. The compact pickup truck – the reigning #VOTY023 – had its name shared with a new compact car introduced for the 1970 model year. 

Ford was about to realign its small car lineup at the dawn of the Age of Aquarius. The Falcon would become history with the name applied to a base model of the Fairlane and Torino. The car itself would stop production in North America, while it enjoyed a great run in Australia. 

To replace the Falcon as Ford’s gateway to the brand, it would actually take two new offerings. One would arrive by the end of 1970 in the form of the subcompact Pinto. The other would be a compact that would competes with Chevrolet’s Nova and Plymouth’s Valiant. 

The fall of 1969 saw the arrival of the Maverick two-door. A fastback body with a trunk, powered by an efficient lineup of six-cylinder engines and the Windsor 302 cubic-inch V8. They added a four-door sedan for 1971.

The Maverick served Ford well through the OPEC Oil Crisis. Even though they never installed a glove box on earlier models and spawned a Mercury version by 1972. Still, the Maverick was a hit early on to make it somewhat memorable by the time its replacement arrived in the equally memorable Fairmont. 

There is a twist in the plot that is unknown here in North America. After the compact Maverick’s demise in light of then new Fox body platform, Ford still owned the Maverick name. They have applied it to other vehicles outside of North America – namely SUVs. In particular, two rebadged models that were originally conceived by Nissan – one in Australia, the other in Europe. They even rebadged the Escape for some time in Europe and China as the Maverick in the 2000s.

What these two examples tell us is that some names may seem timeless, despite being applied to completely different automobiles. Rather, the legacy of those model names could be flipped sideways, while leveraging intellectual property and trademarking. 

Consider these two legacies. We found their roots. Now, turn the page!

Cover photo by Randy Stern