Quote:



Something that was pointed out to me by a Euro designer when someone made a comment about the flat paint finish on part of a vehicle. The North American buyer is different than the Euro buy, you're more likely to see chrome door handles and chrome or highly polished wheels on a North American vehicle than a Euro designed vehicle than the standard body color door handles and silver painted wheels....that's why the Caddy has the polished wheels and chrome door handles and may look Icky to some that like or see a lot of high end Euro vehicles.



Keeping it bland is a way to avoid scorn (or worse) in parts of the world that have abandoned "ambition"

Quote:

In Germany, Mercedes offers a "badge delete" option that strips the model designation off the trunk lid. It's a nod to European socialism, so factory workers won't key the CEO's 12-cylinder S65 AMG, thinking it could be a base S350 with the turbodiesel six. The S350 owner, sans badge, can also pretend he's in a model costing $20,000 more, merely by upgrading his rims.

But in America we like to show off our labels. You don't work 80 hours a week on Wall Street to be equal with the next luxury sedan.

http://www.boston.com/cars/newsandreviews/overdrive/2010/05/2010_mercedes-benz_s550_no_nee.html


TO an American, the sight draws a blank. All over Europe one sees cars, mostly from high-end companies, that wear no nameplates or model designations. Where we would expect to find a nametag of gleaming letters and numbers on the tail, there’s only an expanse of paint.

These nameless cars aren’t rare in Europe, either. If not in the majority, they are a sizeable minority.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/automobiles/11BADGES.html



...and thanks for all the nice comments.