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Let’s be clear on one thing: This question isn’t about mockery or ridicule, nor is it snobbery or superiority. Instead, today we are embracing how a word winds up diverging significantly from its initial pronunciation and meets a broader array of people. Sometimes the word originates in a different country, and changes drastically when a different region enunciates it in a manner more comfortable to their dialect.
One of the most famous automotive mispronunciations is that of the Porsche brand name. “POR-shuh” is correct, but you will likely hear “Porsch” on a regular basis in America. I’ve even heard “Posh” from someone who was adamant it was the correct pronunciation!
The problem (as it were) is a big enough deal for the manufacturer to produce this video, ensuring the record is set straight. This might be among the most prominent examples, but I am not choosing this as my favorite automotive mispronunciation; instead, I am going to go with the…
Accel Super Cole
Again, this isn’t about mockery. I met a gentleman at the drag strip back in the early 2000s who told me his Mustang had a “four-ten gear and an axe-cell super cole.”
The confidence in his modifications was palpable, and repeating his chosen pronunciation of an Accel ignition product was downright impossible. If there’s anything cooler than a yellow super cole under the hood, well, I haven’t seen it yet. As a lifelong resident of South East Texas, I love pronouncing words with our regional flavor. I just didn’t expect Accel’s ignition coil to be one such product needing local spice.
To this day, I go out of my way to buy Accel’s super cole for my cars…which happened last week, in fact.
My 1989 Lincoln Continental recently experienced a crank/no start issue, and I traced part of the problem down to—you guessed it— a dead ignition coil. And because it’s a Ford from the 1980s, it uses any ignition coil for Fox Body Mustangs, including the legendary Super Cole!
It’s difficult to quantify my delight in opening a box with a brand-new Super Cole. But here I am, geeking out over something I made necessary for my own appreciation. So now I must ask you for something similar:
What’s Your Favorite Automotive Mispronunciation?
Source: www.hagerty.com
