Naming cars: I don't think its weird

[GriffinGuru]

So I have read about this sometime in the past that people naming their cars is a new phenomenon often associated with the younger generation. Some do like to give their cars a name; it is a slight anthropomorphism that gives their car some personality. I don't think it is weird, but I also don't agree that it is a new thing. For centuries people have been naming boats as it was believed to bring good luck. The same could be said of bomber and fighter planes, i.e. Memphis Belle, probably also for luck. Don't forget "Eleanor" from "Gone in 60 Seconds" either.

I myself have created a name for my car "Lucy". Mostly because people were asking me if I had a name for it after I got it, and since so many things on the car were loose, the name Lucy naturally followed. But I may be considered part of the millennial generation as I'm 36, though I never really named my cars. Most were just "baby", as in ..."come on baby keep running, just get me home..." Even "Lucy", at home I just refer to as "the Corvair", "I'm taking the Corvair today..." etc; though if anyone asks it does have a name.

My dad, who is 59, has created names for many of the old Porsches he has restored over the years, like "Denise", a 912 he saved, and "Tina" the 924 that I now own. My sister still refers to my 924 as "Tina", though to be honest I always just called it "the 924". Perhaps in the case of my dad who was worked with so many cars of the same make, it gets old just referring to them as "the green 914, the silver 928, etc". Naming them sets them apart and personalizes something that one has spent a lot of time on.

So anyway, as I was thinking about this topic, I also thought that it be funny if people named their cars like they do race horses. Could you imagine a Corvair named "Rochester's Folly", or "Towanda's Thorny Rose"?

[64powerglide]

Back in the early 60's some guys even painted the name on the rear fenders, we were just kids!!!! I bought a new black 62 Monza 4 speed but I didn't give it a name, I wasn't going to paint a name on a new car Take one look under my 64 & you'll know why I call it Rusty.

[Bluenoser]

The previous owner of my '66 called it his 'little hon' and had personalized licence plates. I have left the front plate on the car.

[cnicol]

My wife and I have developed kind of "code names" for the cars in our little fleet and these code names become useful when we have to answer questions like "Where are the folding chairs?" or "Which '66 Corvair gets this insurance card?". The names are usually descriptive like "the red Corvair" or "the Rampside". We have never given a human or "nickname" to even one of the hundreds of cars we've owned over the years; we've also never named any of our boats though the pressure is mounting on that one, LOL. I guess we're weird. To each his own!

[MtnVairMike]

My new to me 66 Monza convertible has earned the name "Ralphie" at our house.

Thanks,

Mike

[Joe B]

I used to work with a woman who drove a '74ish Pontiac Bonneville. The car was HUGE, kinda ragged looking, and burgundy in color, which somehow made it look even larger. I told her it looked like a battlestar and called it the Galactica. She loved it and the name stuck.

[azdave]

My daughter named her old Volvo 740 wagon an American Indian name that she said when translated meant "Black Cloud Follows". It wasn't that bad of a car but it was funny.

[toytron]

I had two old Ford tractors that I had named. The red one was Redford and the blue one was Blueford.

Ed Stevenson

[CorvairCon65]

Here in the UK (unless you have a private registration), the plate stays with the vehicle. Most enthusiasts I know give their car a name, usually female, based on the digits of the registration. Mine is PWT129C and haven't come up with anything yet. Patricia perhaps?

[toytron]

Yeah or Patsy

Ed Stevenson

[toytron]

Bluenoser, I love that yellow. My 65 vert is suppose to be that color. In fact I have a 82 diesel Cadillac Eldorado that is that shade and I use to have a 62 SS impala that was similar. I am thinking that I might want to return my corsa to its original color.

Ed Stevenson

[SirThomas]

I hope it isn't too weird since I've been giving names to most of my cars since the early 1980's. My first Corvair was a 1966 Monza coupe with American racing rims. They had a giant "A" in the center cap. All of my friends thought my unique Corvair was a special car, perhaps even 'royalty'. So after some thought the car was dubbed originally "Sir Arthur", with the "Arthur" part sticking to this day. I also had a Corsa coupe I was refurbishing back in the day who was kind of a rough hot rod. "Rodney" sparked from his tough hot rod appearance. Other cars in our family have touted the names of "Sheba" (1978 Plymouth Arrow GT), "Cammy" (1998 Toyota Camry V6 - a surprisingly peppy car), "The Z" (Jade Grey 1983 Datsun 280ZX 2+2), "Zorro" ('66 Corsa convertible with A/C), "Pedro" (my Toyota Highlander), "Bo" (my wife's Toyota Highlander), "Tux" (our Tuxedo Black '66 Corsa Turbo Convertible) and Spirit ('65 Corsa coupe - Fitch Sprint).

Thomas Ratliff

[SteveH]

no such thing as too weird