What's in a name? Ask the big automakers

By ROBERT TRIGAUX

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 15, 2000

First came Moe, Larry and Curly. Now there's Autoway, Elway and . . . Maroone?

The dismantling of the AutoNation brand of nationwide auto retailing continued last week when the names of South Florida AutoNation auto dealerships were changed to Maroone. The name belongs to AutoNation's dealer-president (and former area auto dealer), Mike Maroone.

To review the name game so far: After spending millions to establish the AutoNation brand in the Tampa Bay area, the company recently ditched it for the name Autoway. In Denver, the company bagged AutoNation for the name of John Elway, the popular former quarterback of the Denver Broncos. And in South Florida, the company chose Maroone as its regional brand.

Gone is AutoNation USA's original premise: a national auto dealer with one national name and superstores that sold used cars at no-haggle prices. In its place is a company that will operate new car dealerships (that also sell used cars) under a different name for each major market. And those dealerships that currently sell cars using bargaining techniques won't change for now.

Financially, the company's direction is blurry. While revenues in the first quarter rose nearly 15 percent to $5.23-billion, quarterly net income fell 22 percent to $62.3-million from a year ago.

If the company's overall strategy seems fuzzy at best, it's not all AutoNation's fault. Industry experts say the big auto manufacturers, unwilling to share the clout of a nationwide brand, won't tolerate a single auto retail name known across the country.

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