Utopian Turtletop

On October 19th of 1955, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Marianne Moore, was approached by a Mr. Robert Young of the Ford Motor Company and asked to assist them in naming a new series of cars. Said Young in his initial letter:

We should like this name to be more than a label. Specifically, we should like it to have a compelling quality in itself and by itself. To convey, through association or other conjuration, some visceral feeling of elegance, fleetness, advanced features and design. A name, in short, that flashes a dramatically desirable picture in people's minds.

Moore agreed, and over the coming weeks, beginning October 27th, she sent to Ford a number of lists of delightful names, all of which I've compiled in a single list below, ordered chronologically. Her final suggestion, sent to Young on December 8th, was the amazing, "Utopian Turtletop."

Incredibly, Ford ignored all of Moore's ideas and instead named their new car, "Edsel." It flopped.

(Source: Letters from and to the Ford Motor Company; Image: Marianne Moore in 1935, via Wikipedia.)

1. The Ford Silver Sword
2. Hirundo
3. Aerundo
4. Hurricane Hirundo (swallow)
5. Hurricane Aquila (eagle)
6. Hurricane Accipter (hawk)
7. The Impeccable
8. Symmechromatic
9. Thunderblender
10. The Resilient Bullet
11. Intelligent Bullet
12. Bullet Cloisoné
13. Bullet Lavolta
14. The Intelligent Whale
15. The Ford Fabergé (That there is also a perfume Fabergé seems to me to do no harm, for here allusion is to the original silversmith)
16. The Arc-en-Ciel (the rainbow)
17. Arcenciel
18. Mongoose Civique
19. Anticipator
20. Regna Racer (couronne a couronne) sovereign to sovereign
21. Aeroterre
22. Fée Rapide (Aerofee, Aero Faire, Fee Aiglette, Magi-faire) Comme Il Faire
23. Tonnere Alifère (winged thunder)
24. Aliforme Alifère (wing-slender a-wing)
25. Turbotorc (used as an adjective by Plymouth)
26. Thunderbird Allié (Cousin Thunderbird)
27. Thunder Crester
28. Dearborn Diamanté
29. Magigravure
30. Pastelogram
31. Regina-Rex
32. Taper Racer
33. Varsity Stroke
34. Angelastro
35. Astranaut
36. Chaparral
37. Tir á l'arc (bull's eye)
38. Cresta Lark
39. Triskelion (three legs running)
40. Pluma Piluma (hairfine, feather-foot)
41. Adante con Moto (description of a good motor?)
42. Turcotinga (turqoise cotinga—the cotinga being a South-American finch or sparrow) solid indigo.
43. Utopian Turtletop