On the 15th (local time), Alfa Romeo, an Italian national car group, recently changed the name of its new car from Milano to Junior. The new vehicle, which was introduced just a week ago, was named Junior due to the protest of the Italian Minister of Economy.
This change occurred due to a lawsuit filed by Adolfo Urso, the Italian Minister of Economy, who objected to the casual use of the regional name Milano and declared it illegal. He argued that Alfa Romeo’s new car used a place name, even though it wasn’t produced in Italy.
He also argued, “That car is produced in Poland. According to the law, you cannot make a mark that could mislead consumers. If the name is not changed, consumers will think the crossover was made in Milan.”
There are many cases where a regional name is used as the name of a car. Tucson and Santa Fe, which Hyundai makes, are prime examples. However, Minister Adolfo Urso deemed Alfa Romeo’s case inappropriate.
Alfa Romeo immediately responded to his lawsuit by officially changing the name to ‘Junior’. They also replied with a nuance of gratitude to the government for the free publicity. Additionally, Alfa Romeo stated, “We don’t want to engage in politics. We want to do business.”
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