Monday, February 25, 2013


SS car badge criticised in Israeli newspaper story.

In Australia, GM is known as Holden.  They often export small numbers of Australian-built cars to the USA  -- selling them under other GM brand-names

Holden’s new US export program for the VF Commodore is still months away but the car is already gaining notoriety overseas for its naming.

The Times of Israel is reporting the Chevrolet SS, the US version of the Australian V8 Commodore, will not be welcome in Israel because it shares the same moniker as a Nazi paramilitary unit.

The report quotes a story in the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth, condemning the SS badging as “inappropriate” because of its reference with the Schutzstaffel (abbreviated SS), a powerful paramilitary unit headed by Heinrich Himmler under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.

The story is headed "Chevy SS won’t storm Israel" and has been met with an array of different responses from its readers.

Holden is undertaking an ambitious export program to the US from the third quarter of 2013, re-badging the VF Commodore with a plan to sell 5000 examples annually.

The Chevrolet SS took its first race win at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway last weekend, with Kevin Harvick claiming the Nascar season-opening Sprint Unlimited. 

Porsche also struck trouble in the United States in September 2011 when it released online ads with the tagline: "The next 911 is coming"

Source

I imagine SS is supposed to imply Super Sport or something of that ilk

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, SS is short for Super Sport and has been used by GM for decades. Past usage was to denote a higher performance verion of an existing model, e.g., Chevelle SS or Camaro SS. This is the first time it's been used as a stand-alone model name. For fear of starting a panic among those Israelies that have an issue with the letters SS, maybe they should consider the ramifications of the German ligature ß. Israelies with a problem like this should team up with the other PC nitwits from around the world and disembark.

Anonymous said...

You and i should have a dime for every Jew in America who will buy this car. We wouldn't need to worry about the financial grave comrade Obummer is putting us in.

One can't help but wonder how many more centuries Jews will use "the Nazi thing" to gain sympathy and special treatment around the world.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if Jews who collect US Social Security benefits, often refereed to as "SS" benefits, complain about that? Maybe the name should be changed to, "Whiners Benefits".

Anonymous said...

The SS badge has been used by GM Holden in Australia for decades and denotes Sports Sedan. No has ever complained about it before.

Anonymous said...

I remember riding in a Camaro SS many years ago - I think the car was from the late 60s.
Don't remember there being any outcry about the badge then.