[FWDLK] Belvedere's name

[Vincent Van Humbeeck <vincent.vanhumbeeck@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> Does anyone know how/why the Belvedere got it's name??!!!

Well, here's the story according to Collectible Automobile (February 1987
issue on '51-'58 Belvedere) :

"Though no one seems to remember why Belvedere was chosen, we'll hazard a
guess. Chevy's first hardtop bowed for 1950 under the name of a ritzy Los
Angeles enclave still renowned for its Hollywood luminaries and exclusives
shops : Bel Air (which, as one author has pointed out, means 'beautiful
line' in french). Now, it just so happens that there's a counterpart
community in Marin county, near San Francisco, called - you guessed it -
Belvedere.

We'd be hard pressed to prove rationale, but the name was a good one in any
case. Aside from a certain élan, it was certainly in the right neighborhood
for an upmarket model. And, as noted, it served Plymouth well for 18 years."
(end of quote)

Of course, the New York hotel story (see Dave's message) is far more solid
and is very anchored in the Plymouth's name origin : pilgrims, Mayflower and
New England (Concord, Cambridge, being other examples). But I'm willing to
believe that this little side story still might have had it's importance
when they made the choice.

Furthermore, as I am a native french speaking person, I can shed a little
more light on those names. First of all, 'Bel Air' translation is more close
to "nice looking" then "beautiful line", as stated in the article. Actually,
'Belvedere' is also a french name, and it means "overlooking point of view",
which might explain why it was used as an hotel name as well as in San
Francisco.

Vincent Van Humbeeck (France, 120 miles north of Paris)
'58 Plymouth Belvedere Sport Coupe

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