Then there are the names from the (sorry, way off
topic) world of BMX and freestyle cycling. It is
possible to build a bike with a Hemorrhoid saddle, Gay
Bar handlebar, and Redneck handlebar stem, all bolted
to a Heavy As F&%$ frame! Ah well, no other field can
ever catch up with punk rock names--ask someone with
spiky hair what MDC stands for.
David Feldman
Vancouver, WA
> Don wrote:
>
> > Can anyone think of a bicycle manufacturer whose
> name sounds worse in
> > English than "Gipiemme" ?? With a name like
> "Gipiemme", why not
> > introduce a series of bicycle cables called
> "Snapiemme" and perhaps
> > introduce a line of paints called "Chipiemme" ??
>
> For most Americans it is hard to conceive that legal
> requirements are at the base of many company names
> in Italy and elsewhere. In Italy, except for public
> companies, there was a requirement that the company
> contained the name of the owner. As virtually all
> bicycle industry companies were initially founded as
> privately owned companies, the official company
> names were therefore obliged to contain the name of
> the owner. That is why in the US, you end up with
> companies with names like Cannondale, Trek,
> Bullseye, Hi-E, Litespeed... etc, and in Italy you
> get names like Colnago, Cinelli, Pinarello,
> Campagnolo, Modolo, FB (the brothers Brivio)... etc.
> GPM are the initials of the owner. To Italians, this
> is par for the course. I used to be export manager
> for a company called 3B which was owned by a Mr.
> Bergamo and his two sons. You also have things like
> duegi which literally is two 'G's again linked to
> the owner's name. As for public companies, the name
> often helps you pinpoint the foundation date as
> different practises were in place at different
> times. I worked for another company F.I.A.M.M. as
> export director. To Italians it is quite evident
> that the company was founded in the fascist period
> as such acronyms, in this case standing for Fabbrica
> Italiana Accumulatori Motori Montecchio (Italian
> factory for motor storage batteries from the town of
> Montecchio) were very popular during that time.
>
> I have mentioned before the the GPM name is perhaps
> not half as humorous as the GPT logo to be found on
> older Pinarello bikes. The GPT is meant to indicate
> Giovanni Pinarello Treviso, but when the initials
> are read in French it reads as: "I flatulated." I am
> not sure whether I had any impact in this regards,
> or perhaps it was pure coincidence, but shortly
> after I pointed this out to 'Nanni' Pinarello, they
> stopped using it on their bikes. Other possible
> winners for a worst name are the Austrian name
> Assmann that was recently brought up for saddles, or
> the Dae Jung tire brand.
>
> --
> Steven Maasland
> Moorestown, NJ
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