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SPG stories Posted by paul [Email]  (#792) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from paul) on Thu, 29 Mar 2001 07:55:30
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What other countries got the SPG? Did they use the same name?
In the UK we have the T16s Aero and Carlsson, and every time I go to a US saab site and see SPG it make smile; you guys in the US may like to know why this is, and why we probably didn‘t use the SPG tag over here.
There are two reasons, both related.
Back in the early 80’s there was a brit sit-com about 4 students in a house share; a punk, a hippie, a yuppie and a leftie; it was called the young ones and was NOT like friends, but pretty ground breaking stuff in the style of Python. The punk had a rather stupid (stuffed) pet hamster called SPG, named after...
Special Patrol Group; being an extreemly controversial police squad set up in the late 70’s/early 80s following rises in crime and especially riots in england major inner cities; these being a result of disquiet over rising unemployment amongs young people. The police squads patrolled inner cities in teams of 12 or so in special vans, and had powers given to them specially by Thatchers new government (not a popular woman; blamed for mass unemployment). They were able to stop and search people who looked like trouble makers without any of the neccessary reasons that regular police needed. they were accused of targeting minority groups in poor areas, ie young blacks, and so were genrally despised and liberals and the media mangaged to portray it as a very worrying step towards a racist facist police state. maybe they were based on the LAPD?
Thus, Vivien, the punk, named his hamster after the SPG as an act of rebellion, and to brought a meaning of complete stupidity to the name.
So its my theory that our marketing men threw out the name SPG for these reasons and we didn’t get it.
However if other countries, Canada perhaps, also did not get the SPG, then perhaps my therory is wrong.
, Thu, 29 Mar 2001 07:55:30 <-- Viewing This Message
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