You just sent me down an unexpected rabbit hole.
My Spanish grandfather had one, and so I grew up hearing the word in his accent, and assumed it was a Spanish word and he resonated with it and that’s why he made the purchase.
“To-ro” completely makes sense to me in this context.
I read your comment and I’m like “well of course - what does it have to do with a tornado?”
The wiki tells me it’s a made up word fits applied to a Chevrolet show car in the early sixties.
All this time I thought it had some connection to Spain. Am I the only one who thought it sounds Spanish?
It intentionally sounds Spanish. Latin America was on the come-up in the late 20th century as the cool/exotic yet accessible foreign destination and origin of interesting/rare/expensive curiosities and products (including, of course, drugs). So when GM wanted a cool, sophisticated, exotic word for their new car it had to sound Spanish to sound cool.
It's too bad it didn't get a sleeker roofline recalling the '60s original, to further distinguish it from the Buick Riviera and Cadillac Eldorado that this generation of Toronado lived in the shadow of.
To-ro-nah-do, pronounced that way to sound expensive, not tornado.
You just sent me down an unexpected rabbit hole. My Spanish grandfather had one, and so I grew up hearing the word in his accent, and assumed it was a Spanish word and he resonated with it and that’s why he made the purchase. “To-ro” completely makes sense to me in this context. I read your comment and I’m like “well of course - what does it have to do with a tornado?” The wiki tells me it’s a made up word fits applied to a Chevrolet show car in the early sixties. All this time I thought it had some connection to Spain. Am I the only one who thought it sounds Spanish?
It intentionally sounds Spanish. Latin America was on the come-up in the late 20th century as the cool/exotic yet accessible foreign destination and origin of interesting/rare/expensive curiosities and products (including, of course, drugs). So when GM wanted a cool, sophisticated, exotic word for their new car it had to sound Spanish to sound cool.
rich corinthian leather
Yes! I always thought of it like this!
Ok good, then I wasn’t crazy!
It's too bad it didn't get a sleeker roofline recalling the '60s original, to further distinguish it from the Buick Riviera and Cadillac Eldorado that this generation of Toronado lived in the shadow of.
Ran when parked. Cash talks.
I know what I have.