Best car names of all time
AskMen.com - Thomas Bey
Think about celebs with cool names, names completely in sync their personalities: Jay-Z, Kat Von D, Slash; they?re much more fitting than Shawn Corey Carter, Katherine Von Drachenberg and Saul Hudson.
Despite what Ford, Lincoln and Mercury have demonstrated in recent years, it?s critical for automakers to pick the best car name and stick with them (are you listening, Dearborn?). You can?t stick a lame name on a cool car and you can't stick a cool name on a lame car. Here are 10 of the best car names out there.
No.10 - Swinger
Dodge
1969-1976
Whether or not these were intentionally bought by those pursuing a less vanilla life, we can?t say, but the Swinger was one of Dodge?s best car names. Not that it was one of the division?s best cars, which explains why it?s our No. 10. Thing was, nobody at the time paid inordinate attention to the moniker given to two-door Dart models. If anything, it was the Demon that got negative attention from conservative groups.
No.9 - Carrera
Porsche
1956-Present
One of the best car names has never enjoyed continual presence. Since the now-famous script appeared on the fenders of a few special Porsche 356s in 1956, the Carrera (Spanish for ?race?) name has generally denoted a special, even more potent edition. Even if you didn?t know what the name meant, it simply sounded fast. Seen most recently on the over-the-top Carrera GT, it?s one of the best car names and also one of the most enduring.
No.8 - Veyron
Bugatti
2006-Present
The Bugatti name is magical to enthusiasts, so it takes a great model name -- and one breaking from the ?EB? designation -- to stand well with the marque. However, one of the best car names is not necessarily as far removed from the automaker as you might think. The car?s name comes from Pierre Veyron, Bugatti wheelman and winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1939.
No.7 - Corvette
Chevrolet
1953-Present
Some have shrugged this off as an imaginary name that just sounds cool and nothing more, but it?s a real term for a small warship. Not so far out of place, when you think about it. Harley Earl may have designed it and Zora Arkus-Duntov later refined it, but it was GM employee Myron Scott who christened the two-seat fiberglass curiosity. Over half a century later, it?s more or less impossible to think Corvette without thinking speed. That?s indeed a sign of one of the best car names.
No.6 - Viper
Dodge
1992-Present
Dodge was an unlikely candidate for a serious performance car in the early ?90s, but thanks to an impressive car and a great name, Viper is worthy of its place as one of the best car names. Known as Copperhead in prototype form before adopting its production name, the reptilian references were just a nod to the look of the car?s front end. The Viper name quickly signified more though, as an untamed creature on the edge of control.
No.5 - Countach
Lamborghini
1974-1990
In a break from Lamborghini tradition of bullfighting-inspired model names, Countach is an Italian exclamation for something beautiful, striking and dead sexy. It was that very interjection at the sight of an early example that led to one of the best car names. For those unfamiliar with Italian colloquialisms, it also became one of the most mispronounced car names. Enlightenment sometimes has a trickle-down effect, and it?s been years since we?ve heard anyone call it a ?cown-tack.? Thankfully.
No.4 - Cobra
Shelby American
1962-1967
Carroll Shelby said the Cobra name came to him in a dream; kind of ironic for a car that?s anything but peaceful. Regardless of the moment of inspiration, the application makes Cobra one of the best car names. We?re talking, of course, of the original AC-bodied Cobras. Ford has liberally used the name on various Mustangs since the ?60s, but they?re a far cry from the curvaceous yet venomous roadsters that spelled trouble for Corvette owners of the era.
No.3 - Testarossa
Ferrari
1984-1996
It?s just ?red head? in Italian, for the color painted on the cam covers. However, tradition and the beauty of the language make this one of the best car names out there. It?s also no accident that the mid-engine coupe is named so similarly to the Testa Rossa race cars of the late ?50s. What?s more, the moniker was more than a painted-on gimmick. This was, after all, a 12-cylinder Ferrari. Say what you will about the design, exotic performance will always be associated with this car name.
No.2 - Silver Cloud
Rolls-Royce
1955-1966
Automakers have attempted to convey senses of calm and luxury in their cars for decades, but Rolls-Royce is one of the few whose names are as legendary as their models. This car is sterling, and it is soft. Any questions? Not to be confused with the more familiar Silver Shadow that followed, the Silver Cloud hearkens back to a time when Old Money was still Old Money -- just a little less so. It?s appropriate for a car that looks like an old bank building on wheels, with approximate size to match.
No.1 - Mustang
Ford
1964-Present
Said to have been named after the celebrated World War II fighter plane, but publicly marketed with equine overtones, the Mustang name has evoked thoughts of freedom and the open road for generations of drivers. Names like Boss, Cobra and Shelby have signified some even higher-performing ?Stangs along the way; yet even on its own, Mustang is all that?s really mattered. The original pony car is still arguably the best, as is its name.
No Zephyr, Biscayne, Continental, Bel Air, Thunderbird, Capri, Monterey, etc...?
That list is worthless.
I like Naked.
Mustang is No. 1?
FAIL.
Quote from: HEMI666 on March 06, 2009, 09:14:10 AM
Best car names of all time
No.10 - Swinger
No.9 - Carrera
No.8 - Veyron
No.7 - Corvette
No.6 - Viper
No.5 - Countach
No.4 - Cobra
No.3 - Testarossa
No.2 - Silver Cloud
No.1 - Mustang
I can think of any number of equally great car names.
Daytona
Le Mans
GTO
Tempest
Bonneville
Zephyr
Thunderbird
Just to name a few
Quote from: Tave on March 06, 2009, 09:32:13 AM
Biscayne
I'm not sure I ever got the pronounciation right. biss-KANE? buys-KANE?
Quote from: Byteme on March 06, 2009, 10:46:46 AM
I can think of any number of equally great car names.
Daytona
Le Mans
GTO
Tempest
Bonneville
Zephyr
Thunderbird
Just to name a few
...GTO?
Quote from: Byteme on March 06, 2009, 10:46:46 AM
I can think of any number of equally great car names.
Daytona
Le Mans
GTO
Tempest
Bonneville
Zephyr
Thunderbird
Just to name a few
I've always liked names that evoked a sense of (to me) exotic places like:
Catalina
Montego
even Parisienne
No Swift?!
I'm shocked...
I always liked the name "Tiburon". A friend of mine a while back dated a girl who drove one and I would amuse myself by calling her car "El Sharko"
Quote from: giant_mtb on March 06, 2009, 11:23:33 AM
...GTO?
There was a Pontiac model in the 60's named the GTO. Other car brands have used that name too.
Back in the day (circa 1968 or thereabouts), the name "Mustang" also was the number one car name on a list of a full hundred or so names--because it evoked "wildness" and "freedom", as I recall. Few of the names in the current top ten were there, obviously, but let the record show that the Mustang was considered the number one car name four decades ago, too. "Corvette" was not on the radar scope but "Stingray" was around fourth place. I'm pretty sure "Avanti" (Italian for "forward", I believe it is) was number two. "Cobra" was way down in the twenties or thereabouts. "Chevelle" was the next Chevy name--eighteenth, maybe. "Impala" was down around "Cobra" in the rankings. I don't think "Fairlane" even made the list, but "Galaxie" was in the top ten somewhere, waaay ahead of "Thunderbird". The editors of the magazine article made fun of "Camaro", which only got two votes in the automotive journalist polling of several automotive publications. Their criteria excluded number names (knocking out any chance for "911") and alphabetic names (knocking out "XKE" and "GTX" but NOT "GTO" since that name is actually the name "Gran Turismo Omologato" abbreviated to its initials--judged to be a shortened version of a true name under their rules). "Belvedere" might have been the bottom name on the list. "Polara" was fortyish (musta been a bribe), but at least a half dozen places below "Monaco". "Barracuda" was the highest-ranked Plymouth nameplate, barely beating out "Road Runner". "Cougar" barely made the list.
"Mustang" was a stand-out car name four decades ago, just as the Mustang was a stand-out vehicle in that era. "Mustang" is a stand-out car name today, just like the vehicle is today. Get it right the first time, and you don't havta keep resurrecting it later...or at least re-badging it. :lol:
Quote from: Byteme on March 06, 2009, 12:25:46 PM
There was a Pontiac model in the 60's named the GTO. Other car brands have used that name too.
I'm aware of that. :rolleyes: I just don't think of as being much of a name. It's three letters. Sure, it reminds me of a sweet muscle car (or a Ferrari)...but the name itself is nothing special. :huh:
Quote from: giant_mtb on March 06, 2009, 12:32:46 PM
I'm aware of that. :rolleyes: I just don't think of as being much of a name. It's three letters. Sure, it reminds me of a sweet muscle car (or a Ferrari)...but the name itself is nothing special. :huh:
+1
If GTO is nominated I think MDX is also a good name then. :lol:
(http://www.geocities.com/wayah01/skylineEmblem.jpg)
Probe and (Cli)Taurus are missing
Quote from: thecarnut on March 06, 2009, 12:45:55 PM
+1
If GTO is nominated I think MDX is also a good name then. :lol:
What does MDX stand for?
Quote from: Nethead on March 06, 2009, 12:27:32 PM
"Mustang" was a stand-out car name four decades ago, just as the Mustang was a stand-out vehicle in that era. "Mustang" is a stand-out car name today, just like the vehicle is today. Get it right the first time, and you don't havta keep resurrecting it later...or at least re-badging it. :lol:
:rolleyes:
Quote from: Tave on March 06, 2009, 09:32:13 AM
No Zephyr, Biscayne, Continental, Bel Air, Thunderbird, Capri, Monterey, etc...?
That list is worthless.
Desoto Firedome? Kaiser Dragon? Dodge Demon?
And Chiron was a greater driver from Bugatti's heyday; Pierre Veyron was hardly worth mentioning if truth be told, but Chiron was used in an earlier stillborn concept. In any case, its just some guy's name.
Quote from: Byteme on March 06, 2009, 10:46:46 AM
I can think of any number of equally great car names.
Daytona
Le Mans
GTO
Tempest
Bonneville
Zephyr
Thunderbird
Just to name a few
Of those, I only even consider Tempest, Zephyr and Thunderbird to be good, and Bonneville and Daytona to only be decent as they're simply co-opted place names. GTO is a designation, not a name, and LeMans was a car named after a race which it had no business naming themselves after.
Volante.
Biscayne is pretty cool.