by The History of the Escape Model
The Ford Escape has remained a key model in the brand’s lineup since 2001, a compact SUV that helped define the modern segment of family utility vehicles. However, history could have unfolded quite differently.
If one decision had been made differently, this model could have joined the Explorer, Expedition, and Excursion under a very similar, albeit strange, name: Ford Excape.
However, Ford’s management was not convinced. The idea, proposed by one of the company’s marketing managers, did not gain approval in the executive circles.
What’s Behind the Name?
At that time, Leo W. Williams III was a key figure at Ford, who had significantly contributed to the creation of the Expedition model. He was tasked with naming this model, and he decided that it should start with “Ex” to maintain the brand rhythm of the Explorer.
Williams shared that the name Expedition comes from his experience in the Marine Corps Reserve, where the term “expeditionary” meant the ability to get anywhere and complete any task. This spirit of capability and adventure matched the image Ford wanted to create for its new SUV, so the name Expedition stuck.
The proposal resonated with Ford Division chief Ross Roberts and Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales Bob Rewey, both of whom were Army veterans and appreciated this connection.
As Williams recently recalled in an interview on a Ford media site, naming the Excursion and Escape proved more difficult. The Excursion alone went through about a dozen potential names before the final choice was made.
What Could Have Been?
“For the smaller SUV, the Escape, I actually wanted to take a risk and name it ‘E-X-C-A-P-E’,” revealed Williams. “This was around the time when hip-hop was gaining popularity, and car names were becoming more creative. But my bosses were fixated on the fact that it wasn’t a real word you could find in the dictionary. They liked the concept of ‘escape’ from the everyday world, so we kept the name but lost the unique spelling.”
While it’s a bit unfortunate that Ford didn’t choose the name Excape, it’s not very surprising. In the early 2000s, automakers weren’t as creative in their nomenclature as some of them are now.
However, there is a slight irony. The European version of the Escape is called the Ford Kuga, a name that, like the proposed Excape, is not found in any English dictionary.
This story is a reminder of how important marketing decisions can be and how they shape the perception of cars. The choice of a name can influence not only a model’s success but also its cultural impact. In the case of the Escape, the traditional approach won, but the alternative version remains an interesting fact for car enthusiasts and brand historians.
