Utopian Turtle-top

When poets name cars

Welcome to the 55th issue of the Lists of Note newsletter. Each week, a new (old) list.

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The boringly-named Ford Edsel (Photo: Wikimedia)

In 1955, while attempting to find a name for their hugely anticipated new car, Ford decided to approach the most unlikely of people to assist in the matter: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Marianne Moore. Moore, who was known by the wife of one Robert Young, an employee in the car manufacturer’s marketing research department, was soon contacted by letter—she agreed to help and over the coming weeks proceeded to supply them with numerous lists of delightful names, all of which are compiled here, ordered chronologically (every word, including those in parentheses, is Moore’s own). Her final suggestion, sent to Young on December 8th, was the amazing, “Utopian Turtle-top”.

Incredibly, Ford ignored Moore’s sublime ideas. Instead, they named their new car, “Edsel”. It flopped.

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• The Ford Silver Sword

• Hirundo

• Aerundo

• Hurricane Hirundo (swallow)

• Hurricane Aquila (eagle)

• Hurricane Accipter (hawk)

• The Impeccable

• Symmechromatic

• Thunderblender

• The Resilient Bullet

• Intelligent Bullet

• Bullet Cloisonné

• Bullet Lavolta

• The Intelligent Whale

• The Ford Fabergé

• The Arc-en-Ciel (the rainbow)

• Arcenciel

• Mongoose Civique

• Anticipator

• Regna Racer (couronne à couronne) sovereign to sovereign

• Aeroterre

• Fée Rapide (Aérofee, Aéro Faire, Fée Aiglette, Magi-faire) Comme Il Faire

• Tonnere Alifère (winged thunder)

• Aliforme Alifère (wing-slender, a-wing)

• Turbotorc (used as an adjective by Plymouth)

• Thunderbird Allié (Cousin Thunderbird)

• Thunder Crester

• Dearborn Diamante

• Magigravure

• Pastelogram

• Regina-Rex

• Taper Racer

• Taper Acer

• Varsity Stroke

• Angelastro

• Astranaut

• Chaparral

• Tir à l’arc (bull’s eye)

• Cresta Lark

• Triskelion (three legs running)

• Pluma Piluma (hairfine, feather-foot)

• Adante con Moto (description of a good motor?)

• Turcotinga (turqoise cotinga—the cotinga being a South-American finch or sparrow) solid indigo

• Utopian Turtle-top

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Reprinted in Lists of Note by permission of the Literary Estate of Marianne C. Moore, David Moore, Esq., Administrator. All rights reserved.