GM: ‘Chevy’ still OK

June 11, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

DETROIT

Relax, Chevrolet fanatics. Turns out you can take your “Chevy to the levee” or any other darn place you please.

General Motors Co. on Thursday backed off what it called a “poorly worded” internal memo that asked employees to refer to the brand only as “Chevrolet” instead of its long- standing and well-known nickname.

GM said in a statement that it “in no way” is discouraging anybody from using the name Chevy. The internal memo was part of an effort to develop a consistent brand name as it tries to broaden its global presence.

“We hope people around the world will continue to fall in love with Chevrolets and smile when they call their favorite car, truck or crossover ‘Chevy,’” the statement said.

GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said the statement was meant to make clear that the company is “honored and flattered” that the brand is so popular, regardless of what people call it.

The original memo, he said, “made it look like maybe we were telling other people not to use ‘Chevy.’

“Mostly this was just trying to train [employees],” he said. “Historically, especially recently, we’ve tended to use the two interchangeably.”

John Heitmann, an author and automotive-history professor at University of Dayton, said he understands what GM is trying to do with Chevrolet. He said promoting the brand by its full name appears to be an effort to get customers to equate it with high quality.

Still, Heitmann said it’s worth remembering that in the brand’s heyday during the 1950s and ’60s, “Working-class America bought Chevys — they didn’t buy Chevrolets.”