The best wheels were obviously SC Speed Wheels from the mid-80s until they stopped making them ('91 or so). Every wheel since has never come close. Hence, even Spitfires can only be average (I've also skated Pig and generic Tum Yeto stuff: different feeling, but definitely as good). Rat Bones and Vision Blurrs (the first symmetrical wheel design that most use now) weren't so bad either, preferably the semi-transparent white ones, but couldn't compare to Speed Wheels. I've heard, though I've seen nothing to back this up, that the decline in good wheel formulas is related to tightened environmental regulations.
About that 'burner nomenclature--as long as I've been skating, kids have understood the basic meaning of durometer (at least the commonly used A-scale designations). Now that mall stores have effectively replaced skate shops, the high school girl behind the counter at Zumiez can now easily tell you which wheel you want for street or park. To my knowledge, Spitfire's cuts have their own designations (and Street/Park Burner have nothing to do with): SFM, Classic, Classic Full, Classic Thin, Conical, Street Cut, etc. For example, "F1 Street Burners Sean Malto Edition" basically means 100a Classic Full shape with a different graphic and fewer sizes.
Uh oh, potential for an old skate-nerd debate. I agree that Speed Wheels were awesome. I think. I had them on one of my first boards, around '86-'87, but I was young and not very knowledgeable. When the small wheels craze started my old set-ups were for my dog to pull me. Had I known how much I'd like to have a Retegui, Fred Smith, or McGill Skull&Snake nowadays...
I have to disagree about a few things though. The Spitfire shape array is more diverse that what you noted. One thing that's always set them apart is the ability to make so many different designs. The street/park burners for example are wider than classics, and they are smooth on the bottom, not ribbed when new like others, which in itself tells me that they come from a differed mold. Then the F1 street cuts are a slightly different shape than burners and with a hand cut edge (great wheels by the way, I ride the street cut 56's for park skating and love them).
The pro model wheels should be unique shapes. At least they always were when Ruben Orkin (RIP) was running things. I remember reading an interview not long before he passed away and he spoke about that, but that was also when they would only release 2 pro wheels at a time, maybe I'm still stuck in '99.
The other thing is that most kids should understand enough about wheels to go pick the right thing for their terrain based solely on durometer, but many of them don't. The naming helps the new kids and the ones who are starting to skate at very young ages. Just saying there's nothing wrong with naming the wheels. Calling them park burners is no different than saying classics or Bigheads (also unique shape, also made mow with F1 at 100d making the Bighead Street Burners, which are shaped differently than regular Street Burners).
Quite a pessimistic view about shops but try to remember that the core group that has always kept skate shops alive is still doing it. I don't think the mall shops effectively took over, but they're trying. They get a lot of new kids and trendsters, but a lot of us are working hard to keep skate shops thriving. That aspect (mall shops) bums me out too, I even got called a tag for posting about it here, apparently a lot of these guys lime Zumiez. Wouldn't know why, I've never gone inside one, but you can't beat the feel of a good, basic, core skateshop.
Back to Spitfires, maybe things are different now, w/o Orkin, but I help my shop with their orders and can say that when you see 30 different sets of Spitfires in front of you, hold them next to each other and look at them closely, you can see that there is a lot if variety, though some of it pretty subtle. I know that in the end they're just wheels, but every part of my set-up, from the bearing spacers to the grip tape is important to me. Although I think you're right about a lot, just think you simplified the Spitfire line a little incorrectly. I could also be wrong about everything.