GM Name Game: "Chevy" Not Taboo After All

Just the Facts:

• GM says it has not banned the use of the Chevrolet nickname, Chevy.
• An internal GM memo had asked employees to stop using the name, Chevy.
• GM says it was aiming for "consistency" in asking employees to use Chevrolet instead.

DETROIT — GM may have banned the use of the word "Chevy" earlier this week, but it backpedaled furiously on Thursday, saying that a "poorly worded memo" was the source of the controversy. It also said it was OK to use the popular nickname, which has as much iconic weight as "Coke" or "Apple" to many Americans.

The flap over what to call the GM brand began when The New York Times published the contents of an internal GM memo that told staffers to quit saying "Chevy." The memo's postscript said a plastic can had been placed in a hallway and "Every time someone uses 'Chevy' rather than 'Chevrolet,' " a GM employee was expected to toss in a quarter.

"Today's emotional debate over a poorly worded memo on our use of the Chevrolet brand is a good reminder of how passionately people feel about Chevrolet," said the official GM statement released at noon on Thursday. "It is a passion we share and one we do not take for granted. We love Chevy. In no way are we discouraging customers or fans from using the name. We deeply appreciate the emotional connections that millions of people have for Chevrolet and its products."

The internal memo said GM was aiming for "consistency" in banning the Chevy name. "In global markets, we are establishing a significant presence for Chevrolet, and need to move toward a consistent brand name for advertising and marketing purposes," said Thursday's GM memo. "The memo in question was one step in that process."

The Chevy nickname is shorthand for Louis Chevrolet, a founding member of the automaker and a Swiss racing car driver and engineer. He designed the first Chevrolet automobile, the Classic Six, in Detroit in 1911 with the financial backing of a founder of GM, William C. Durant. The nickname "Chevy" has embedded itself into American popular culture, from advertising to music. In 1971 the folk-rock song "American Pie" contained these memorable lyrics:

"So bye bye, Miss American Pie,
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry."

A popular baby-naming Web site lists Chevy as a possible name for boys, along with "Bentley."

Inside Line says: You say "Chevrolet," I say "Chevy." But GM says let's call the whole thing off. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent