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| Kia 'won't sell Provo car in UK' | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| By Damien McCrossan BBC News | By Damien McCrossan BBC News |
| The South Korean car manufacturer Kia has said it does not plan to sell a model called the 'Provo' in the UK. | |
| Earlier this week, the firm unveiled a model using the name, often used for the Provisional IRA during the Northern Ireland Troubles. | |
| That prompted DUP MP Gregory Campbell to table a parliamentary motion which said the name would be offensive to many victims of the Provisionals. | That prompted DUP MP Gregory Campbell to table a parliamentary motion which said the name would be offensive to many victims of the Provisionals. |
| Kia said the car was a special model planned for a Swiss motor show. | Kia said the car was a special model planned for a Swiss motor show. |
| Mr Campbell welcomed "Kia's swift action" in disavowing plans to sell a car with the Provo name. | |
| "Obviously a large multi-national company may not be aware of all the connotations surrounding a particular name," he said. | "Obviously a large multi-national company may not be aware of all the connotations surrounding a particular name," he said. |
| "However, in such circumstances it is important that they act quickly when they are made aware that the name is actually linked to a terrorist campaign. | "However, in such circumstances it is important that they act quickly when they are made aware that the name is actually linked to a terrorist campaign. |
| "The motion which I had tabled in the House of Commons was aimed at making Kia aware of the particular sensitivities and to request a change. | "The motion which I had tabled in the House of Commons was aimed at making Kia aware of the particular sensitivities and to request a change. |
| "In this case Kia have acted quickly and issued a clear statement that they will not launch a car in the United Kingdom with this name and will not utilise this name in any other way." | "In this case Kia have acted quickly and issued a clear statement that they will not launch a car in the United Kingdom with this name and will not utilise this name in any other way." |
| Motoring correspondent Derek Black said it was important to remember that the car and its name were never actually destined for the production line, never mind the UK car market. | Motoring correspondent Derek Black said it was important to remember that the car and its name were never actually destined for the production line, never mind the UK car market. |
| "It's only a show car, I don't think they have any plans at the moment to put it into production," he said. | "It's only a show car, I don't think they have any plans at the moment to put it into production," he said. |
| "They put them on at motor shows and they gauge the public reaction to them. This is them trying to test the market for a sportier Kia. | "They put them on at motor shows and they gauge the public reaction to them. This is them trying to test the market for a sportier Kia. |
| "You're talking about a global company here and the sensitivities in one part of the world might be lost on them. | "You're talking about a global company here and the sensitivities in one part of the world might be lost on them. |
| "They were probably not even aware of the significance of the name in the UK." | "They were probably not even aware of the significance of the name in the UK." |
| 'Little bit of frivolity' | 'Little bit of frivolity' |
| Stephen Kitson, corporate communications director at Kia Motors UK, said the implications of the Provo's name were equally unintended. | Stephen Kitson, corporate communications director at Kia Motors UK, said the implications of the Provo's name were equally unintended. |
| "This car is a showcase, it's a little bit of frivolity, it's for a motor show in Switzerland designed by an Italian at a design studio in Frankfurt," he said. | "This car is a showcase, it's a little bit of frivolity, it's for a motor show in Switzerland designed by an Italian at a design studio in Frankfurt," he said. |
| "The name of the car is chosen for its debut by the designer." | "The name of the car is chosen for its debut by the designer." |
| Mr Kitson, who lived in Northern Ireland himself as a child, said the Provo name actually comes from the Italian word prova, meaning test or trial, or prototype. | Mr Kitson, who lived in Northern Ireland himself as a child, said the Provo name actually comes from the Italian word prova, meaning test or trial, or prototype. |
| "It's a play on the Italian word and it was also linked to the desire to provoke emotions, to provoke aspirations, to make the car exciting and fun," he said. | "It's a play on the Italian word and it was also linked to the desire to provoke emotions, to provoke aspirations, to make the car exciting and fun," he said. |
| "We're sorry if anybody takes offence at it, but this car is not about Northern Ireland. | "We're sorry if anybody takes offence at it, but this car is not about Northern Ireland. |
| "It won't have the slogan No Surrender on the boot, we're not going to do a Free Derry special edition or anything of that nature. | "It won't have the slogan No Surrender on the boot, we're not going to do a Free Derry special edition or anything of that nature. |
| "It's to show what Kia's designers are thinking, to gauge opinions and get feedback on the car, not the name." | "It's to show what Kia's designers are thinking, to gauge opinions and get feedback on the car, not the name." |
| Pressed for his own favourite name for a car, Mr Kitson didn't hesitate. | Pressed for his own favourite name for a car, Mr Kitson didn't hesitate. |
| "I'd probably say the Kia Cee'd, especially as Jeremy Clarkson calls it the C-apostrophe-D on Top Gear. | "I'd probably say the Kia Cee'd, especially as Jeremy Clarkson calls it the C-apostrophe-D on Top Gear. |
| Seemingly innocuous | Seemingly innocuous |
| "That would be my favourite, quite simply because Jeremy's talked about it a great deal and as Oscar Wilde once said, there's only one thing worse than being talked about and that's not being talked about." | "That would be my favourite, quite simply because Jeremy's talked about it a great deal and as Oscar Wilde once said, there's only one thing worse than being talked about and that's not being talked about." |
| Seemingly innocuous names have long caused problems for car companies selling across borders and cultures. | Seemingly innocuous names have long caused problems for car companies selling across borders and cultures. |
| In 2003, managers at General Motors in Canada were forced to rebrand their new Buick LaCrosse after discovering it had a special, embarrassing, meaning in French Canadian slang. | In 2003, managers at General Motors in Canada were forced to rebrand their new Buick LaCrosse after discovering it had a special, embarrassing, meaning in French Canadian slang. |
| Japan's Mitsubishi had to change the name of its Pajero model for Spanish-speaking markets for similar reasons. | Japan's Mitsubishi had to change the name of its Pajero model for Spanish-speaking markets for similar reasons. |
| And when Ford's Pinto failed to entice buyers in Brazil the company wanted to know why. | And when Ford's Pinto failed to entice buyers in Brazil the company wanted to know why. |
| It discovered that in Brazilian slang pinto means "tiny male genitals". The company's reaction was to have all the badges prised off and replaced with one meaning "horse". | It discovered that in Brazilian slang pinto means "tiny male genitals". The company's reaction was to have all the badges prised off and replaced with one meaning "horse". |