Well... Original is Armalite. True is supposedly Colt. That and $0.50 might get you a cup of coffee in 1992.
Meanwhile these days I think a significant portion of Colts sales are based solely on namesake. The AR and the 1911. Take that Rampant Pony off the side and half the chit they put out the door is crap. It will still sell for good money because of the name though.
I'm a Colt fan and have owned many of them, but what Johnny said is true. The newer Colt AR's aren't much different than most of the other brands. The older Colt AR's are a completely different story, they are smooth as hell.
Colt is still the top of the heap for name-brand recognition though and that does mean quite a bit if you're ever planning on selling it.