hendriphile
Well-known
Yes & I once had a Porsche 911 "Model 997."
After a few years they came out with the Porsche 911 "Model 998."
So now it's the Leica M "Typ 240."
VertovSvilova
Well-known
Yeah, it's now the same sort of naming culture with Leica. The 911 has always meant a specific type of Porsche but with changes in the line as the years progressed (although there was a 912 which was the same body style as the 911 but with a flat 4 motor.) My 18-year old 993 is a 911. The cars are known by the general public as the 911 but owners and those familiar with the 911 will call them by their internal model number: 911, 930, 964, 993, 996, 997, 991, etc.. Although it didn't start deviating from "911" until 1989 (except for the 930 in 1975.) It was just 911 up until 1989 when they went with the "type" internal numbering (starting with the 964 model.) But with the exception of the 912 and 930. The 912 however had a nameplate on it that said "912" even though it looked identical to the 911.
Typ 240 is also an internal number. The camera is the M which is the nameplate. The previous cameras had a number following the M and which weren't an internal number but the nameplate on the camera (M3, M2, M4, M6, M7, M8, M9, etc..) So it appears that Leica has now decided to do the "Porsche" and "Mercedes" style of naming.
Mercedes uses an internal number but the public normally knows them only by their nameplate. e.g., the E350 sedan can be either a W211 or a W212. And the numbers on the nameplate following the model alpha designation (i.e., E350) normally refer to the motor's displacement: 3.5 liter or 5.5 liter (E550) or 6.3 liter (E63 AMG; although it really only had a 6.2 liter motor.) The E320 was a 3.2 liter motor and when it was available the internal name was the W210 (E430 had a 4.3 motor, etc..) But the alpha designation for the model is relatively new; e.g. the precursor (in 1959) to today's S-Class was the W111 that had a numerical designation as a nameplate (e.g., 220, 280, etc..) until Mercedes later tried to simplify everything with the C, E, S, etc. classifications. Mercedes owners will sometimes identify their car by the internal name (W210 or W211, etc.) but normally they don't (or don't even care/know about those numbers.) imho, Daimler had a much more convoluted internal/external naming procedure than either Porsche or Leica.
Pioneer
Veteran
Not really big into Mercedes or Porsche but Jeep also has a similar system. It has been a Jeep Wrangler for years but has undergone a number of changes with internal letter that designate those changes.
However, I don't drive my Leica M around and, up until just recently, Leica used the nameplate as the designation of a new model.
However, I don't drive my Leica M around and, up until just recently, Leica used the nameplate as the designation of a new model.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
The Now and Forever M.
G
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