The Semiotics of Automobiles

I recently ran across a post titled "I don't get it" on the blog Because I Amuse Myself. The reason I ended up at this particular blog post was that I passed a Nissan Cube with a windshield decal that read "The Brave Little Toaster". When I saw the car and its decal I couldn't help but laugh because the car does look rather boxy and I remember Disney's Brave Little Toaster from my children's toddler years. I always wondered if other people thought boxy cars resembled toasters. I got my answer after a few brief moments on the internet. Here is the post:

I don't get it




What's the appeal of the toaster-on-wheels vehicle?As if the Scion xB wasn't enough, now Nissan has joined the box-shaped car club with the not-so-cleverly-named "Cube".



Why? Who goes to a car dealership and thinks, "I want a car that looks like it could toast a giant slice of bread"?

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Here is a picture from The Brave Little Toaster:



I also discovered some bumper stickers for sale at various internet sites:

And then I passed a Ford Flex.

It even has a slot for regular slices of bread and a slot for an extra-wide slice of bread.