April Fools’ Day 2021: the car industry’s best and worst jokes
Car makers have again celebrated April Fools’ Day with spoof stories, but one joke went a bit too far…
In what has become a tradition for the car industry, April Fools’ Day has been marked with a wave of fake news stories.
The gags are usually harmless fun and do well to lighten the mood, which is no bad thing in the midst of a global pandemic. However, as you may already have read, a certain German manufacturer took things a little too far in its bid to generate headlines this year...
We’ll get to that later. Here we’ve listed the best (and worst) April Fools’ Day jokes from the car industry of 2021. Got a favourite? Let us know in the comments section below.
*2021: A Space Chodyssey*
Dacia announced its intention to launch the world’s first affordable space programme. Called Dacia Dustar, the budget brand claims the “venture represents a new dawn in value-for-money space travel”.
Speaking at Dustar's secret technical base, head of operations Noel Armstrong said: “We're all about delivering best-value-for-money without compromising on quality. We've achieved this on Earth, so launching a car into space is the obvious next step!
“Going to space is a dream for many, but we want to show that you can make a little go a long way and make it a reality. I’m over the moon that we begin by sending our rugged and robust Dacia Duster to seriously new heights today.”
The second-generation Duster SUV is far more likely to take off.
*The wrong Octave*
Skoda has developed new In Tune software that monitors the cabin for singing and automatically corrects the vocal pitch. The corrected audio is then played back through the car’s speakers in real time, masking singalongs that are out of key.
In Tune is available as a free download and is designed to “come to the rescue of drivers and passengers up and down the country, who suffer in silence next to those who believe they are the next Beyoncé or Rick Astley.”
“The UK’s ongoing lockdown situation is straining families and friendships, and with the prospect of kids back at home for the Easter holidays, tensions are likely to run high,” said Skoda’s head of vehicle audio, Carrie O’Key.
“We know music is good for the soul, but caterwauling certainly is not. This software will hopefully add some much-needed lighthearted fun to every essential car journey.”
Something certainly doesn’t sound right.
*Electric shocker*
On Monday, a leaked press release suggested Volkswagen was on the verge of rebranding as Voltswagen of America in the US, with the aim of drawing attention to its electric vehicles in the market.
The move was initially dismissed as a wind-up until an official statement from Volkswagen confirmed that the rebrand was definitely going ahead.
The ruse lasted a matter of hours, with reports surfacing on Tuesday night that the Voltswagen stunt was exactly that.
It’s still not clear if the whole saga was a joke that got out of hand or a marketing ploy that snowballed, but the fact that Volkswagen has been telling porkies not long after paying out billions in fines for the Dieselgate scandal surely isn't a great look.
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