Buick Electra

The world of trademarks is a bit sketchy when it comes to automotive planning. Names of cars are dutifully protected--losing the rights to a name could cause lots of trouble. Sometimes, we even get an inkling of future product through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's public database. The questions is whether this is a case of General Motors planning for a future model or protecting an existing mark, the name "Electra." The name hasn't been used since 1990, when the final Buick model dropped the name, though it was used for over 30 years prior. There's a very good hint at the intent of...