The game of the name

General Motors yesterday confirmed that the Holden Ute SS will be sold in the USA as the Pontiac G8. The car will be produced with the G8's frontal panels and a V8/six-speed auto combination only (more here).

Currently, there is no locally grown vehicle in the US that equates to the Ute -- and there hasn't been a GM pick-up that combines load-carrying with car-like dynamic properties sold there since the late 1970s, if one excludes the abortive Chevrolet SSR.

A more successful car of the type was the Chevy El Camino and its badge-engineered sibling, the GMC Caballero. A new car, reviving a concept last successfully marketed in America about 30 years ago and not previously marketed by Pontiac at all is a shot in the dark for the 'excitement' brand.

Pontiac has therefore established a website that will collect ideas from the public for the naming of the new car. The entrant (a US resident) who submits the name favoured by Pontiac for the new model will win an example of the car itself, once it goes on sale in 2009.

Despite the apparent high approval rating for 'El Camino' -- a Chevrolet model name, remember -- we're tipping that Pontiac won't go near that one with a bargepole.

Pontiac has learned that you can't just slap an iconic name on an Australian import -- see Pontiac GTO/Holden Monaro -- and expect to get away without a backlash from defenders of the faith, costing sales.

At the local presentation to the media yesterday, Holden's new Chairman and Managing Director, Mark Reuss said: "I think they should call it 'The Ute' -- and get on with it".

The Carsales Network invites our readers to come up with some suggestions of their own. Just click here and leave your ideas.