Trumpchi car brand faces name change before reaching the US market

Guangzhou Automotive Group is considering renaming its Trumpchi brand before it starts to sell cars in America in 2019. The reason is obvious, as the brand name GAC Motor has chosen doesn’t necessarily sit well with all prospective customers.

The reasoning behind the Trumpchi name has to do with the romanization of a Chinese brand name GAC Motor had begun using, “Chuanqi”. That name, loosely translated, means “legendary” in Chinese, and it’s something the automaker wanted to convey in a more easily pronounced way, choosing “trump” for, well, trumping the competitors. They tacked on the “chi” ending to stand for China. Dissected, it makes sense, but as the Trump presidency has turned out to be far more topical than the Chinese brand would desire, the name has to go. Read more