Social Question

Ltryptophan's avatar

What are the funniest car names?

Asked by Ltryptophan (12091points) June 10th, 2010

I saw a Chrysler go by the other day. The Lebaron. Can you imagine the audacity someone had naming this car the Lebaron. I can just hear the designers laughing at us.

“What can we name this car?”, says one designer to the other.

“Well we are trying to get some middle class guys who wish they were rich, and instead have to settle for being in their midlife crisis to buy it. So, how about we give it a sexy european name.” Says designer two to the other.

“I’ve got it. These guys wish they were Barons. Let’s call it the Lebaron!,” Eureka…there’s how the Lebaron came to be folks.

Ok, so how about some other car names that just fly in our faces, or are just funnny. The gremlin…etc.

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

33 Answers

lillycoyote's avatar

I think that Cayenne is really a ridiculous name for a car. It’s a pepper. What is car-like about that? Ok. It may be “hot” but it’s still a vegetable.

prescottman2008's avatar

Nova, no va, means “doesn’t go” in Spanish. Armada, which is a group of boats and the Nissan Armada is definitely a boat. I always hoped for a sexier “Escort” but that never happened. I could go on all night.

john65pennington's avatar

Yugo. ugly car. ugly name. it did not make it in America.

Aztec. another ugly SUV. i guess they thought by naming this vehicle after indians, that the whole tribe would buy one. not so. they are giving them away.

Jeremycw1's avatar

@lillycoyote haha my friend has a Cayenne. We call it ‘The Pepper’ lol

SassyPink's avatar

Do you know there was an automobile company called Alldays & Onions ? These kinds of car were manufactured in Britain from 1898–1918. To me, it sounds like the name for a restaurant rather than a name for a car brand! Lol. were manufactured in Britain from 1898–1918. To me, it sounds like the name for a restaurant rather than a name for a car brand! Lol.

lillycoyote's avatar

@Jeremycw1 LOL. My point exactly. :-)

SassyPink's avatar

@lillycoyote lol. speaking of hot, what if the car were to be nicknamed Caliante instead?

jerv's avatar

Nissan has a couple that make me scratch my head: Stanza and Axiom.

Dodge Ram has always struck me as an oxymoron.

The Dodge Intrepid seems rather tepid.

lillycoyote's avatar

@SassyPink Apparently there already is or at least was a Caliante.

lillycoyote's avatar

And it’s not a car but this was another corporate naming disaster.

SassyPink's avatar

I see now…
(Finished reading second article…) And what were Reeboks thinking? I guess they’ll learn next time to do some research before distributing their next latest product(s).

I don’t mean to be slightly off-topic, (since this is a thread about funniest car names) but I just want to make a short input about another company that made a similar naming disaster few years ago. There was this MGM’s Bratz doll (I know, they’re now discontinued) production line called Tokyo a Go Go that features a doll named May Lin. Its name stir a controversy due to the fact that May Lin (Meilin) is a Chinese name, not Japanese.

faye's avatar

I had a Studebaker Lark. So not larklike. Though the Study Bullet was silver and streamlined. Think of the muscle car names. Are they okay because they became ‘hot’ cars? Corvette sounds like a ‘grandma’ cutesy name but not when you see a ‘vette.

Nullo's avatar

The Renault Kangoo. Followed by the Hyundai Tiburon.

shego's avatar

The mercury lynx. A family friend owned one, and it was like a rust red color, and I called it a rolling cockroach.
Plus there’s the volgswagon (spelling?) It

Nullo's avatar

@shego That’s Volkswagen. “The People’s Car.”

prescottman2008's avatar

How about those Mitsubishi’s of the 80’s, where did they get those names anyway, Tredia, Cordia, Starion? I used to have a Toyota Corolla. I had to look up that word. It has something to do with a flower. The Tercel which was their smallest car is a ornithological word for a male hawk. I’m not sure about “Cressida”. Does anyone remember the old Chrysler LeBaron commercials? Ricardo Montelban is describing it as “The new, small Chrysler”

Nullo's avatar

@prescottman2008 We have a preponderance of LeBarons running around in Maplewood.

Arisztid's avatar

I thought that the Chevy Nova was the funniest because of the No Va (no go) thing mentioned up above because they made excellent street rods back in the early 70’s with the purchase of the super sport package and some souping up (turbo charger, radical cam, etc.) or even installing a 450, which could be done.

The fact that it said “no go” yet kicked butt in street drag racing always made me snicker.

Mazda LaPuta puts me under the table too. It meas “the whore.”

shego's avatar

@Nullo I am aware of that.

lillycoyote's avatar

But, come to think of it, my car has kind of a ridiculous name, or a ridiculous number of names, too many of them. I drive a Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon. That is just too many names for one car to have and I don’t even entirely understand the whole system of nomenclature that Subaru has. I guess some Legacies are not Outbacks or wagons? Some wagons are not Legacies or Outbacks? And some Outbacks are not Legacies or wagons? Who knows? I don’t really get it myself and I drive one.

Nullo's avatar

@lillycoyote You can abbreviate that to SLOW. Not as good as Nova, but hey.

lillycoyote's avatar

@Nullo But’s she’s not. The Silver Bullet (because she’s silver, of course) is not slow, not at all. Did you know that the Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon, at least mine, is actually a sports car disguised as a station wagon? She wants to go fast so bad, as much as she wants her hatchback to make it easy for you to carry cargo. Cargo? Yes. Car go! Car go so fast that I got my first speeding ticket in 21 years just a few months ago. I really should pay that thing. I’m pretty sure that by this point there is a warrant out for my arrest in Ohio. Note to self: Pay Ohio speeding tick ASAP or you will never be able to visit your Aunt again, or if you do, there will be a very, very embarrassing phone conversation where you call her and ask her if she could maybe bail you out. :)

zenele's avatar

I like Subarus. I’d bail you out.

lillycoyote's avatar

@zenele So it would have nothing to do with me, and how much you respect and admire me? Is that what you’re saying? It would just be because you liked the car? Well, I suppose if I were in jail that would have to be good enough. I’ll pay you back though, I promise.

zenele's avatar

Turtles.

zenele's avatar

@monkeymouseman I have seen it called Cayenne – I don’t know where you’re from – but CaveMan is even better.

;-)

http://www.netcarshow.com/porsche/2011-cayenne/

busta21's avatar

The names I cannot pronounce. XD

Coloma's avatar

Renault “Twingo.” Why not Quadro?
The Mazda “Bongo.” Seriously?
The Kia cee’d. WTF!
Nissan “Cedric.” Does it come with a built in butler?
Hyundai ‘Getz.” Gets WHAT? lol
VW up! Is this like cowboy up or what?
Mitsubishi Carisma. Car-isma? Oh brother.

Answer this question

Login

or

Join

to answer.
Your answer will be saved while you login or join.

Have a question? Ask Fluther!

What do you know more about?
or
Knowledge Networking @ Fluther