Car/bike Names what are the best? worst?

[NewcastleFalcon]

Yes its been Clio day today for me, but where did the name come from and is it any good?

If you are well up on Greek Mythology maybe Clio means something, or if you are familiar with the works of Carlo Franzoni you may well make the connection to his "Car of History" sculpture in the US Capitol. In general though its a fairly meaningless word which conveys little about what has been a very successful car.

Thinking on fron that VW's little successes, the Golf and the Polo probably also fit into the pretty meaningless category. You may expect that the Polo would be slightly more exclusive than the Golf in a literal sense comparing the two sports, and neither sport conveys much about the characteristics of the car.

So in traditional FCF off-topic fashion we have to dig into the world of Motorcycles for my best ever name...

The Velocette Venom! No there's no way on earth that could be a "commuter bike" and its definitely going to be a bit of a wild thing!


Velocette Venom 1961 [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], by Thruxton (Own work), from Wikimedia Commons

Go on what names do you like?, what are hideously boring? and where did the manufacturers dig them up from?

Regards Neil

[Michel]

Mazda Bongo Friendee.

All others pale into insignificance. That *is* the best.

[Stickyfinger]

Le Merde
Le Grande Merde
La Petit Merde
Le Rouillé Merde

Thay about covers my French car collection

[NewcastleFalcon]

New word for my french vocabulary Rouillé!

Continuing to go marginally off topic title, I've always thought BSA came up with excellent names for their stable of machines.

Here's a Thunderbolt


BSA Thunderbolt [Public domain], by Codes84 (Private collection), from Wikimedia Commons

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

So what are each manufacturer's best named cars? Here's a crop that were paddling around competing in the 80's, with no particular naming gems although the Fiesta does conjure up "fun". The Maestro was probably anything but a maestro . Maybe Vauxhall should have gone for "Congressman" to keep up the "C" trend in their stable.

BL Metro, Maestro, Montego
Ford Fiesta, Escort, Cortina, Granada
Vauxhall Chevette, Cavalier, Carlton, Senator

Regards Neil

[Richard_C]

That's a .... Fiat, you know.

And there was the contemporary Lancia white chicken .....Y10

(say it, don't just read it)

[Michel]

Mazda Carol Me Lady
Honda That's
Ford Probe
Volugrafo Bimbo
Mitsubishi Lettuce
Mazda Titan dump
Isuzu mystery utility wizard
Subaru Every Joypop Turbo
Geely Rural Nanny
Daihatsu Naked
Daihatsu Scat
Mitsubishi Active Urban Dandelion

I <3 Japanese car names.

[CitroJim]

I <3 Japanese car names.

Those Mike, are legendary... Always great for a good giggle

Wasn't there a 'Cedric' as well? A big Nissan?

The reason for the names, as I understand, is due to the Japanese love of using any English word in any context without understanding its meaning..

They, I believe, wear teeshirts covered in random English words without a clue as to what they might say...

A bit like we in the Western world may use Kanji characters in much the same way...

[Michel]

I <3 Japanese car names.

Those Mike, are legendary... Always great for a good giggle

Wasn't there a 'Cedric' as well? A big Nissan?

The reason for the names, as I understand, is due to the Japanese love of using any English word in any context without understanding its meaning..

They, I believe, wear teeshirts covered in random English words without a clue as to what they might say...

A bit like we in the Western world may use Kanji characters in much the same way...

The Superdry clothing brand is a retort to that Japanese love of using English words out of context. Contrary to popular belief, Superdry at British.. originally from Oxford and the Japanese script on their clothes is verging on nonsense.

Nissan definitely had a Cedric. Hong Kong was full of Cedric taxis when we lived there in the 80s

[NewcastleFalcon]

I came across the Nissan Cedric the other day in my meanderings about wing mirrors on Japanese taxi's over on the "Tartan Travel Rugs and other nostalgic motoring accessories".

Like your take on it Richard C

And there was the contemporary Lancia white chicken .....Y10
(say it, don't just read it)

Have to store that away if I ever get round to compiling my own set of quizzes on "Sporcle". Yes the Lancia White Hen!



Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Mazda Carol Me Lady
Honda That's
Ford Probe
Volugrafo Bimbo
Mitsubishi Lettuce
Mazda Titan dump
Isuzu mystery utility wizard
Subaru Every Joypop Turbo
Geely Rural Nanny
Daihatsu Naked
Daihatsu Scat
Mitsubishi Active Urban Dandelion

I <3 Japanese car names.

Excellent Mike, I thought the only real one on your list was the Ford Probe at first, but no. For anyone wondering what a Mitsubishi Lettuce looks like here it is, AND.....it has wing mirrors on the wings!

https://images.complex.com/complex/imag ... vszic3.jpg

Regards Neil

[Michel]

I'd quite like an Isuzu mystery utility wizard, for no other reason than its name

[white exec]

Takes a bit to beat Nissan's 'Pajero' *, which, when brought to Spain, had to immediately change name (Montero). It appeared as Shogun for the UK.
Must have been a bit of a surprise when the first private imports were brought in, with original large and chromy badging!

*In Spanish, it translates as w*nker, t*sser, and the like.

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

I think the best name for a car sometimes depends upon the particular vehicle, the Vauxhall Agila that my partner used to have was re-christened The Money Pit, a very appropriate title for a very bad car.

I noted while driving in urban traffic yesterday, that while I was familiar with the '.....a' 's, Astra, Manta, Cortina, etc, of the 80's & 90's period, the current crop seem to be Q's (Kodiaq, Qashqai & more), which perhaps isn't nearly as weird to the younger generation as it seems to me.

The Hillman Imp and Triumph Snag (sorry, Stag) were well named.

[Michel]

My brother - aged 6 or 7 at the time, thought the A in Austin on the back of my Grandad's Maxi was an R...

Rustin Maxi. How appropriate!