No word has been more abused by the auto industry than “Limited.”

The implication–that the manufacturer will be producing only a small, fixed number of vehicles, so it’s special–has rarely if ever actually been the case.

Instead, production is limited to the number they can sell. And, in the case of the Chrysler Aspen Limited, which inspired this post, perhaps a few thousand more than they can sell.

So why keep abusing using the term? Apparently it still has an allure for many car buyers. More often than not the “Limited” is at least an upper-level trim. The Aspen is an exception: until the Hybrid was introduced, the Limited was the only trim level.

Some cars are produced in strictly limited numbers. But in these cases you’ll usually have a plaque attesting that your car is, say, “579 out of 1,500.” Or at least a piece of paper.

Why does this matter? It’s just a word, after all. But if a manufacturer shows so little regard for a word, then what else are they disregarding? If their use of this word is so obviously false, then which of their claims should be believed?