3A. Nope, it wasn't American. And the air carrier in question took delivery of less than 30 new aircraft from the factory.....but later acquired three Electras from American.

3B. It was more than 28 seats up front in first and less than 48 seats in the back in coach. In fact, the airline in question initially configured their new Electra aircraft with more first class than coach seats.

not sure if your jet airliner is the "Citation" -- which Enterprise Airlines operated in scheduled service for ~two years -- which shares the nomenclature with Chevrolet
we can also check off "Aztec" -- Piper and Pontiac (although the latter spelled it "Aztek")

I'll let you have the spelling. I had Chevrolet Aztec on my list but it appears to be the name given to this customised 1955 Bel Air, rather than a production vehicle.
https://kustomrama.com/wiki/Bill_Car...1955_Chevrolet

The Citation was new but not the airliner I had in mind, which is a 100+ seater.

I thought YVR Cockroach had already identified the Ford Motor Company "Mercury" which Dassault instantiated as the "Mercure" ... a poster child for "orphan" airliner models, as Quiz regulars well know, with only a dozen of the type produced (surprisingly, seven are still extant) ... should probably update the scoresheet at some point

The Miles Mercury https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Mercury
would be a better fit spelling wise with the Ford Mercury brand. It was also a Chevrolet model from 1933
https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1933-...nd-mercury.htm
The above link also reveals the Chevrolet Eagle which pairs with the McDD F-15.

The Mercure is not the airliner I had in mind....

Quote:

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3A.

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Well, the first airline to get the Electra was Eastern, but they got more than 30, so I'll go for National who ordered 14. Surprising they ordered first, but there you are. They were probably still running their pre-WW2 Lockheed Electras then within Florida as well, plus Lockheed Constellations.

3A. Correct! According to Jon Proctor, the first scheduled Electra flight operated by National took place on yours truly's birthday in 1959 on the New York to Miami route: I turned six years old on April 23 of that year and four years later I would take my very first airline flight which just happened to be on board an Electra operated by PSA from LAX to SFO.

So now we are looking for an answer to 3B.....

How many seats in first class and coach were there on board National's Electras when the type first entered service with the airline?

BTW, it's interesting to note that when National was operating service into Key West back in the late 1940's with the Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar, the runway at Key West appears to have not been paved. And National's marketing slogans back then included "The Buccaneer Route" as well as "Route of the Buccaneers".....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockhe...028200559).jpg

back to eponymous cars and aircraft -- the general aviation sector seems to be well represented

• Bonanza -- Beech (Model 35 and 36) and Chevrolet (mid-70's pickup truck)
• Conquest -- Cessna (441, Conquest II) and Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth (re-badged Mitsubishi Starion)
• Malibu -- Piper (PA-46) and Chevrolet
• Seneca -- Piper (PA-34) and Dodge

Two new ones there (Malibu & Seneca).

In earlier times National long used the "Buccaneer" slogan and image, apparently meant by National president George T Baker as a running gag personal slight against Eastern's president Eddie Rickenbacker, who was known to have a short-fuse temper, and who constantly opposed National's route requests. The artist drew the cartoon-style Buccaneer with certain of Rickenbacker's characteristics exaggerated ! Anyway, we shan't be too hard on Eddie, who throughout WW2 was a constant supporter of the UK government to the US administration.

From my old, battered, hard copy of "The American College Dictionary" (published by Harper & Brothers in New York in 1951).....

buccaneer - 1. a pirate. 2. one of the piratical adventurers who raided the Spanish colonies and shipping in America.

And here's a National timetable cover from 1940 depicting what may well be the airline's original "The Buccaneer Route".....

http://www.timetableimages.com/ttima...4/na4004-1.jpg

Plus here's a National timetable cover from 1947 with an illustration of a buccaneer who just might bear a passing resemblance to Mr. Rickenbacker.....

http://www.timetableimages.com/ttima...07/na4707a.jpg

another from the military side of the house: Cutlass -- Vought (F7U) and Oldsmobile

I think it would have been easier to do aircraft names that were never car names ...

Do Trim Levels Count?
 

I thought it was interesting when Dassault started to give its Falcon bizjets model numbers that sound an awful lot like Honda Accord trim levels:
Falcon 900DX, 900EX, 900LX
Falcon 2000DX, 2000EX, 2000LX, 2000LXS

Hardly anyone opted for the DX trim line in either jet.

Bombardier also got in on the action with their Learjet 75LXi

Skyhawk. Douglas and Buick
Tempest Hawker and Pontiac