For many years, the story has been walking on the Internet about how one of the models of the famous automobile brand was renamed due to the name unsuccessfully sounding in Spanish. We decided to check the validity of such publications.

According to sources, the General Motors automobile giant once suffered Fiasco, trying to bring the Chevrolet Nova car to the markets of Latin America. The level of sales was incredibly small, and the experts associated this with the fact that the buyers were embarrassed by the name, because no va in Spanish means "not going." As a result, the model claimed to be renamed Caribe.

About this case-an allegedly typical example of a strategic error with Neyining-told such online resources as DELFI, "Automation","At the wheel" Car.ru, Autonews, Matador And kp.ua. There was an instructive story in some marketing books - in particular, “Black PR. Forbidden attacks of attack and defense","Marketing from A to Z" And "Advertising communication".

General Motors Chevrolet Nova appeared in 1962 and originally bore name Chevy II. At the same time, the name Chevy II Nova was also used, but only in relation to the top modifications of this model.

Cabriolet Chevrolet Chevy II Nova 400 1962 release. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

In 1969, the manufacturer renamed The entire line of Chevy II in Nova. The model was produced until 1979, and in 1985-1988 the name Chevrolet Nova on the American market wore a car based on Toyota Corolla:

In the wake of success, the American manufacturer in 1972 introduced the NOVA line in some countries of Latin America - in particular, in Mexico and Venezuela. In both states, models used high demand, and in Venezuela sales income surpassed All calculations and even according to one of the leading American magazines about advertising Adweek, temporarily made Chevy Nova the best -selling model in the country. Only in 1978, a year before the closing of production at home, car Removed From the Latin American market.

Now to the issue of linguistics. There is an international word Nova, which comes from Latin and in astronomy means a new star. It Used In the same meaning and in Spanish. Moreover, since the Spanish language belongs to the Romanesque, it contains many nova words in general vocabulary: for example, the “innovator” sounds there like Novador, and "novelty" - novedad. Therefore, the name Nova should not have cut the ear to the inhabitants of Latin America or to give birth to unexpected associations from them. For example, the Mexican state oil company Pemex at one time Sold Gasoline of its own brand Nova.

As for the phrase no va, although it can be translated as “does not go”, “will not go” or “It won't", A spanning native of a faulty car will rather say No Marcha ("Does not work") or No camina ("Not on the go"). In addition, stress in this phrase is placed on Second The word that complicates the association with Nova (reads as “Neva”).

And, finally, about the name Caribe, supposedly replacing Nova in the Spanish -speaking countries of the New World. Two concepts of a car called Chevrolet Caribe were built in 1966 And 1968 years on the basis of IMPALA and CAMARO models, respectively. They were intended exclusively for auto show and were not produced in series. And it was before the exit of the Chevrolet Nova to the Latin American market.

Thus, the company General Motors did not rename the Chevrolet Nova model for Latin American countries, especially since sales there were very worthy. Moreover, the word Nova could hardly cause negative associations among the Spanician motorists.

Photo on the cover: social networks/ JEFF MANGIONE