There are entire departments within each automaker tasked with choosing the right name for the right model. Getting it wrong can turn an otherwise competitive car into a costly flop. The nameplate also plays a significant role in forging a car’s image. The next-generation Volkswagen Golf may not sell as well as its predecessor if the marketing department in Wolfsburg gives it a name that sounds like a vulgar insult in English. Similarly, we’d have a difficult time imagining BMW releasing a model called Charlotte to replace the 4 Series. And yet, heritage aside, Giulia undoubtedly fits Alfa Romeo’s 3 Series-fighter much better than G20t4D would. Join us as we explore the meaning (or, in some cases, the lack of meaning) behind some of the industry’s enigmatic nameplates.