Last month we featured a Question of the Day about the worst model names ever glued onto the back of a vehicle. Everyone had fun trashing corny, little-known nameplates from here and abroad, as well as the various and oft-nonsensical letters applied to the back of many North American offerings today.
Today we flip this question and talk about the best model names. What’s your selection for the best vehicle names out there?
I’d like to think the best names evoke an emotional response, or at the very least a strong mental image. Hearing the name, one need not consult their phone for a Google Image search — they already know the vehicle in question from memory. Their brain automatically selects their preferred version, in the color of their choosing, and with wheels they like most. (I can’t be alone in doing this, several times a day.) Let’s try one: Testarossa.
What color was the one that instantly came to mind? I’m not sure why it’s always white for me, but there it is. Just like if someone says “Suburban,” I see the following resplendent and shiny vision of two-tone.
Names like these stood (and stand) the test of time, making them good candidates for best of the best. Whether via sheer longevity or a stand-out vehicle unique in its time, a great car and name combination sticks in the mind like glue. This rings true even if the name uses the maligned formula of jumbling letters and numbers. One more time — Ninety-Eight.
Which names mean the most to you, and qualify as great examples of drawing emotion or vivid imagery with just a single mention? A quick scan of a model name on a written page can transport us to a different time and place, or a world of unique design, metallic paint, and sweeping fenders. Give us your best.
[Images: General Motors, Hemmings, BangShift, eBay]
Ferrari Daytona.
Corvette.
Thunderbird.
Absolutely agree and would add “Barracuda” to your list.
More importantly, why can’t we buy something as elegant as that Toronado today?
because the old men who thought vinyl roofs, pillow seats, and wire wheelcovers were “elegant” back in the ’80s have passed on.
You could do a Toronado (or Eldo or Riv, for that matter) with sport suspension, alloys, leather bucket seats, etc.
No one wanted ’em, though.
The Bro-ham’s time has come and gone.
I love that the add at the top of the page says: TORONADO BROUGHAM COUPE.
There was only one stinking body style. You don’t have to tack “coupe” on there – there’s no Toronado wagon or sedan to distinguish it from.
Well, there’s a reason Olds went out of business…
Was there a Toronado Touring, or was that the Caliente? Not aware of what the Riviera sporty model was called either. Surely none of them got modified to the extent of the Eldorado Touring Coupe.
@Corey
I can’t recall which years their was theoretically a base on brougham Toronado, I doubt any dealers stocked them. Here’s the lineup I remember.
Toronado
Toronado Brougham
Toronado Caliente
The Rivera was available in a T-type variant with the early turbo 3.8 V6
I really liked the E-bodys up until the mid 80s downsizing. Although my Dad really wanted a Toronado Trofeo back when Harry Belefonte was shilling for them.
Ah T-type, that’s it. Can’t believe I forgot that one.
@Dan
You missed XSC which seems to be the trim only equivalent of the T-type minus Our Lord.
“in addition to the base Toronado Brougham, various trim packages were available under the XSC (1980–81) and Caliente (1984–85) names were offered along with choices of velour, leather upholstery, even sueded leather inserts and digital instrumentation. The XSC offered individual front bucket seats, as opposed to the traditional split bench front seat usually installed. The third-generation Toronado was also made into convertibles by the American Sunroof Company, with a power-operated cloth top. Reclining backrests were an option.[24]”
I think the Caliente was their version of an Eldo Biarritz. I seemed to remember there was some kind of sportier Toronado, but apparently they didn’t bring one on the 79-85 model. Full bro-ham.
Dan’s right…the performance variants were the T-type Riv and ETC.
The sporty versions of early Rivieras were called “Gran Sports,” or GS.
The original 1966 Toronado had none of that, it was a strikingly beautiful car, and restored examples turn heads to this day.
Pillow seats still are elegant, but agreed on the wheelcovers, and agree carriage roofs do not mesh well with blobby wind tunnel designs.
Work with me guys. I get that some of the styling cues lack contemporary appeal, but what car can you buy today that offers “elegance”? The S-Class is probably the closest, and the Continental is an attempt. I just don’t think the 7-Series or A8 offer elegance. Technological wizardry, perhaps, but not elegance.
I think the S-Coupe is bordering on elegance.
https://res.cloudinary.com/carsguide/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto,t_cg_hero_large/v1/editorial/Mercedes-Benz-S-Class_Coupe_2015-5.jpg
And I think the V90 has elegance.
http://st.motortrend.com/uploads/sites/5/2016/12/2018-Volvo-V90-rear-side-03.jpg
Thought we already had this question.
Anyways my answers are normally the same, Jensen Interceptor, followed by Plymouth Satellte.
Yes – on both counts. Interceptor is just about the coolest name. Top Gear even did a segment on it, parodying 60’s/70’s spy and detective TV shows and it still looked cool.
“…She drove a Plymouth Satellite
faster than the speed of light…”
B-52s “Planet Claire”
My Dad had an electric-blue 1970 Satllite sedan I know it well. Great name, meh car…
Bulgemobile Blastfire Firewood Wagon Deluxe.
https://oppositelock.kinja.com/here-are-some-humorous-illustrations-by-bruce-mccall-h-1633457775
Pix here:
https://oppositelock.kinja.com/here-are-some-humorous-illustrations-by-bruce-mccall-h-1633457775
Cadenza. Because it sounds like what your grandparents would call some little-used piece of furniture collecting dust in the corner. Which is essentially what the big Kia is.
Astute observation.
“Let’s try one: Testarossa.
What color was the one that instantly came to mind? I’m not sure why it’s always white for me, but there it is.”
WTF? “Testarossa” means “red head” in Italian.
The Testarossa in Miami Vice TV show was white. That’s why.
Personally I always thought it looked cool in black.
I assume this is a Miami Vice reference.
Ferraris in white tend to sell at a steep discount.
No Miami Vice references for me, that show always means Daytona in my mind. I really just think of the Testarossa as white.
That was a fake Daytona, though…but then again, since it was a rebodied Corvette, and Corvette and Daytona are both on my list, that’s a double win.
Did Ferrari not want to give them a real one to use? Was the Testarossa real?
I’d imagine the reason they never used a real Daytona was budgetary concerns.
But the Testarossa was the real deal.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/news/a26015/miami-vice-ferrari-testarossa/
Jensen Interceptor
Aston Martin Lagonda
Mercury Cyclone
Nissan Leaf
– Giulia, because it’s Julia but in Italian, sounds sexy.
– Mustang because P51 Mustang, the GT350R, and the horse.
– Viper cause they look like vipers.
– Camry, Corolla, Corona, Crown etc. All mean crown, as in we are number 1 in sales.
– BMW 745, cause I can pick you up a quarter to 8 in my quarter to 8.
Buick Riviera sounded and looked cool. Corvette Stingray. Aston Martin Vanquish…
I also liked the Acura Legend. Why Acura discarded their names for RL and RSX is beyond me – it’s almost as bad as the Acura beak they put on their cars, though I don’t remember if it was the RL, TL, or what.
Corvette Stingray because it looked like a Stingray to an 11 year old in 1963 and I really wanted one.
Testarossa just because.
And Delta 88. This one because Olds wasn’t happy with a great name. They needed Jetstar and a Starfire and a Dynamic and a Delmont to bastardize the brand. I owned a ’76 Delta until 1995. A heavy duty tank of a car with a pollution fighting strangled and choked 350 V-8. It was a great daily driver.
Director Sam Raimi’s 1973 Olds Delta 88: http://www.filmbuffonline.com/FBOLNewsreel/wordpress/2013/04/09/the-classic-sam-raimi-and-the-1973-oldsmobile-delta-88/
The pics in this article all have one thing in common: plenty of tire sidewall. Funny, today’s Accords/Camrys have less tire sidewall than that Ferrari. Of all the advancements in modern automobiles, the large wheel/short sidewall is one I don’t care for at all. When you combine the ride quality of this combination with an ever decreasing greenhouse, is it any wonder why people are migrating to SUVs and trucks in droves?
The problem with that statement is the fact that trucks and CUVs are also getting low profile tires. Their overall diameter might be larger, but the wheel sizes are going up accordingly. I blame that Ford Edge ad from a while ago. “Some of my guy friends ask, Are those 20s? I don’t know what that means but I guess it’s cool.” I couldn’t believe how difficult it was to find a Silverado without 20+” wheels. I had to settle for 18″s, and would have taken 17″ wheels if they were available on anything besides a basic work truck.
Eldorado, Impala, Nova, Electra 225, and last but not least Falcon!
+1 for El Dorado and Electra
As a Buick fan growing up I always liked Le Sabre and Electra (with the 225 add-on if you want).
When I was growing up down in my ‘hood these were called “Deuce an’ a Quarter’s”.
LeSabre. It sounds sleek.
My dad had a ’76 Le Sabre. Great name for a handsome car back in the day.
Caption to the picture of the man in a sport coat staring at his watch next to the Toronado Brougham Coupe:
“Damn! My meeting is starting in five minutes! Where is that tow truck?!”
Stratos
Javelin
Meteor
Legacy
No question about it:
La Ferrari FXX K
Ok Look, I know no one wants to choose “new models”, but “La Ferrari” is literally “The Ferrari”.
And FXX K is… well… have you seen the way the logo is written? I don’t have to be a 12 year old to read that as a censored explicit.
In other words, an exotic high end automotive manufacturer who prides itself on an exotic car comes out with a car called
THE FERRARI
And then decides to come back with an in-your-face probably unintentional explitive on their freaking amazing hypercar?
I know the FXXK is the successer to just the FXX, but I can’t be the only one who reads it the way I do, am I?
FERRARI FACK
When I first heard the name “La Ferrari” I figured that was the next contestant on “Ru Paul’s Drag Race.”
Well if there can be a contestant called “Peppermint”… Why not?
Pontiac Catalina
Maserati GranTurismo
Venturi Atlantique
Buick Electra
Stutz Bearcat
De Tomaso Pantera and Lamborghini Countach are great names, especially when you know “Countach” basically means “holy sh*t”. Also, AMG Hammer.
Among the more mundane, I always thought Explorer and Pathfinder were evocative names that are sadly now affixed to unevocative vehicles.
Historically – Almost all the names from the 50s until the mid 70s were pretty good (and I’ll still take the worst ones over the alpha numeric bull**** that passes for model names today.)
Modern names – Highlander is pretty good (even if it makes me want to say: “There’s Only One…”) Hyundai has a knack for naming CUVs with Western cities, I’m kind of surprised that nobody thought of it before they did. Jeeps vehicle names always just seemed to work regardless of how good or bad the vehicle they were attached to.
+1 re the alphanumeric gibberish.
Agree, particularly since the numbers in many instances no longer reflect what was intended (horsepower, cylinders, displacement, etc).
The Brits had the 2 best: Interceptor and Spitfire.
However Thunderbird, Wildcat, Mustang, Bearcat, and Barracuda are all very good.
“Modern names – Highlander is pretty good (even if it makes me want to say: “There’s Only One…”)”
I’ve always pictured a Highlander with a kilt as an option and a tartan interior.
Bagpipes, anyone?
Someone in the ’50s had a Scotsman or Highlander trim with plaid seats.
Studebaker Scotsman. No plaid upholstery however.
Hubcaps and grille were painted; buyers paid extra for a basic recirculating heater for the passenger compartment. Interiors were fitted with painted cardboard panels—gray vinyl being the single standard for upholstery. Rubberized floor coverings replaced carpeting.
I know of the Scotsman by Studebaker – but that was an actual model. This was a trim of something else. Like a New Yorker Scotsman.
Got it – the Chrysler Windsor Highlander.
Buick Roadmaster!
Yes! It masters the road!
I like Roadmaster as well. I think of a ’50s one in red.
Unlimited Brougham!
To me the words Fleetwood Brougham harken back not to malaise-Era shtick but to when “luxury” meant comfort.
A friend of my Dad’s worked for a multi-brand GM store in the 80s.
Lots of customers would come in and ask: “You got any of them Bro-hams?”
Impala, natch!
Next: Chevelle, Bel Air, Malibu, Fury, Galaxie.
How often do we have to answer this question?
Can you point me to where we did it already?
Perhaps I’m referring to CC. I do think the subject was dealt with somewhere here before, just not the same question? Hmm…
Triumph Spitfire
“Why own just a car, when you can own a legend?”
Belair, Plus 8.
on the tough side: 2500, 3500, F250, F350. All denote that you have a rig that can take a beating.
Yes at least in the truck world the alpha numeric names had true meaning. Generally I far and away prefer names over numbers but I think its silly that GM went with SILVERADO and SIERRA for all the trucks whether they were W/T spec or fully luxed out.
I’m OK with numbers-based car designations that are logical and identify a technical product. Volvo 242 GT, 245, 264, 744, 745, etc all make sense. But most automakers eventually broke away from that consistent regimen, hence 240, 740, etc.
@spookiness – right.
example: Infiniti – G37 meant G sires 3.7 V6, adding the X suffix meant AWD. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Now it’s a muddled mess.
The only winner in the letter vowel number soup…
XR4TI
Studebaker Dictator
Wow, that got dark quickly…I actually had to look that one up to make sure you weren’t joking.
Next up: Jeep Jihadi.
Seville, sounds classy, even though most of the cars the nameplate was attached to were hideous.
Volkswagen Golf. One of the very few single-syllable names. Honorable mention: Mitsubishi Colt, but that’s a little to aggressive for me.
Citroen DS. “Déesse” means “goddess” in French, fitting for such a divine vehicle. Also: ID, same idea. Honorable mention: Citroen Ami 6, which with an article becomes “la missis”.
Mercedes SLK, just for the history (even though it was the SSLK back then).
And of course, sports car names from races or race courses. Carrera, Daytona, Montecarlo, Panamera, etc. — they all sound great and convey the right images.
Oh, I forgot: all the Rolls Royce “Silver Something” names. Pity they decided not to go with “Silver Mist”, though — that would have been the best, except for Germany where it would have meant “silver crap” :-)
Chevy Bolt, Volt, Cruze…
VW’s Golf, Jetta, Passat et al get extra points for the cool thematic unity. And I’ve always had a soft spot for Vista Cruiser, because it sounds just like what it is.
Crown Royal Saloon G 4000
My man.
Nissan Gloria V30 Turbo Brougham VIP
Sporty AND classy.
“Nissan Gloria V30 Turbo Brougham VIP”
Boom!
https://www.tradecarview.com/used_car/nissan/gloria+hardtop/20174041/
Check out this ’89 Crown:
https://www.tradecarview.com/used_car/toyota/crown/21442203/
Full-boat V8 model… with analog gauges and a column shifter from a taxicab. Must have been a company car.
Mmmm they both even have the obligatory JDM white lacy style partial seat covers. That would be a hard decision, but I think I ultimately would choose the bomb proof Crown with the V8.
Is that the imported price or price in Japan before shipping? Both are surprisingly pricey IMO.
Price in Japan I believe, but there is of course room for negotiation. They’re both clean, top-trim, low-mile survivors that are eligible for US importation, so that’s part of the priciness. Compare to this 1997 Crown Majesta which won’t be US-eligible for another five years:
https://www.tradecarview.com/used_car/toyota/crown+majesta/21442435/
Well, the Gloria’s not low-mileage, but it is about as good as you can expect for a 32-year-old car.
Of those two, I’m easily having C R O W N.
Humber Super Snipe. Because its like a Snipe only better.
The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 was never officially named the Daytona by its manufacturer. That nickname was popularly applied after the fact.
I vividly remember riding in one back in the early 70’s. We were on the Westway, a short elevated section of urban expressway in West London, and all the other cars seemed to be stuck in reverse as our 12-cylinder bellowed past them. Awesome car! The driver, someone I knew, was later stopped for driving over 160 mph in his Lamborghini Miura, an informal UK speeding ticket record he held for some years.
The original 250 Testa Rossa (50’s-60’s era, two words meaning “red head”) was so named after its red-painted valve covers. The later Testarossa (one word, 80’s-90’s era) borrowed from that tradition. I think most Ferraris have the red covers now?
There can be lots of answers to what color you think of for a Ferrari, but I confess that white wouldn’t be one of mine. Beyond the obvious red I like them in the classic Fly Yellow.
Sunbeam Tiger
Stutz Bearcat
Hudson Hornet
The best car names are those that evoke glamorous, sophisticated, and/or exciting places such as Bel Air, Catalina, Monterey, Sebring, Cranbrook, Calais, Parisienne, Biarritz, Seville, Riviera, New Yorker, Newport, Bonneville, Laguna, Ventura, Sedona, Capri. Etc.
Also great are cars named for animals (real or mythological) that represent beauty, speed and power such as Firebird, Viper, Mustang, Barracuda, Jaguar, Hellcat, Road Runner, Thunderbird, Cougar, etc.
Horrible names are the meaningless, computer-generated ones. The Asians are the worst in that regard. Corolla, Camry, Tercel, Acura, Optima, and the like. At least many Asian models still have actual names and they haven’t yet sunk to the Euro level of alphanumeric nonsense.
Tercel actually belongs in the second group.
The name Mustang, as applied to the original model, is nearly perfect.
“The best car names are those that evoke glamorous, sophisticated, and/or exciting places”
Yes. The trouble is that their use by mass producers like GM is often positively embarrassing: I give you the Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
I see your Chevy Monte Carlo and raise you a VW Bora. (Because the one name was nicked from a mere Lancia while the other one debuted on a Maserati.)
Car and Driver had a gag about naming cars after the last place you expected to find one.
Monte Carlo
Malibu
Granada
Edsel Bermuda
Maserati also made a Bora, which is mentioned in an article coming later today.
At least it’s not the Chevrolet Monty Python.
My parents’ Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera Brougham Deluxe.
Continental-Mark [insert Roman numeral]
That’d be “V” for me.
Best looking malaise era bro-ham, for my money (the ’79 Eldo would be second).
Mark IV and 460ci begs to differ.
Well, as I was saying…”best looking.”
And, honestly, you just don’t want to go fast in a ’70s land yacht. I’ve done it. It ain’t pretty.
Olds 442 and what it stood for.
My Fairlady Z. I still have dreams about it.
My first car, Grand Am, which I liked to call Grande Dame.
Delta 88 Royale, my parent’s car when I was little.
Now I love Brougham, and Brougham loves me, but looking at that Toro it seems a bit ostentatious now if not ridiculous. Yet I look at ye old CUV and despite superior junk hauling ability it is just as bad, if not much worse than the Toro. Progress?
The Toro had a bit too much trim on it, especially in this Brougham guise. I think the Eldorado was peak GM coupe at that generation.
I like guy in the Brougham ad looking at his watch, wondering when is that %&*#!@ tow truck going to get here.
Nice, but its a carb’d Toro not a 4100 Eldo.
Right the Olds 307 V8 was the most reliable thing about that car.
Jordan Playboy – I win.
The Machine.
Marauder.
Road Runner.
I’ve always thought the Cressida was a cool car name.
I’ve always thought that some variation on the Ford Torino Talladega would be a great name for a larger car built on the Mustang platform. Unfortunately, the Challenger and Charger are probably the last RWD cars that aren’t sports cars or luxury cars.
Mazda Proceed Marvie
Mazda Bongo Frendiee
Okay those are just silly
Eunos Cosmo… now that’s cool, and quite befitting to rotor-powered luxo/sport-spaceship upon which the badge was placed IMO.
Pinto
Relay
Q## and QX##
Hammerhead Eagle iThrust
Oh, wait, you wanted *best*. Sorry, got that reversed.
Being the science nerd that I am, I’d like to see more science-y names. Aside from, you know, the automotive suppository that was the Ion.
Meteor
Comet
Nova (with souped up versions being the Supernova, Hypernova and Type 1a)
Photon/Phonon/Quark/Boson/Neutrino
Lancia could do one called Entropy.
(Nissan) Leopard
(Ford) Taurus
(Oldsmobile) Cutlass
(Datsun/Nissan) Bluebird
(Ford) Thunderbird
(Lincoln) Continental
(Buick) Wildcat
(Ford) Explorer
(Jeep) Wrangler
(Ford) Bronco
(Ford) Mustang
These are just a few of the names I think give meaning to the vehicles they are/were attached to. Yes, Cutlass was a made-up name, but it became a word with meaning due to some (not all) of the cars it was attached to. The others invoke a positive image, a strong and hard-to-forget name that was pure genius compared to the likes of Q50 or MKS.
I thought Cutlass was a kind of s-word.
I just looked it up, evidently it is a type of sword. Huh. Learn something new everyday, I guess.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutlass
It was predated by the Navy’s F7U Cutlass fighter/bomber, built by Chance Vought. The Cutlass had a weird nose-high landing profile, which made carrier landings a challenge, while the lack of thrust from the Westinghouse J46 engines made takeoffs a challenge. “Naval aviators called the F7U the ‘Gutless Cutlass’ and/or the “Ensign Eliminator” or, in kinder moments, the ‘Praying Mantis\'”:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_F7U_Cutlass
The sword reference is also in the name of one of the characters in the movie “Pirates! Band of Misfits”, Cutlass Liz.
Escort, because I do enjoy the company of one.
328! of course.
Why is your “i” !nverted?
The factory installed the ‘i’ upside-down on his (really).
Canyonero!
It was good enough that it should have been real.
I’ll go with Corvette as well. The Corvette Stingray sounds just about as cool as the car is.
Someone mentioned Highlander for a new model, I kind of dig that too.
Plymouth had one-a quasi muscle car with a gigantic rear spoiler- “the Judge”!
The Judge was a GTO.
Lamborghini Diablo
Oldsmobile 442
Suzuki Samurai
AMC Javelin
VW Fox
The model name should be short, easy, and catchy.
Hall of Shame Award goes to the Chevrolet Citation
Studebaker Golden Hawk, Studebaker Avanti, Rambler American (it was an all American compact one of the first to popularize compact cars), Mercury Cougar (sleek and fast like a cat), Nash Ambassador (good name for a more luxurious car), Plymouth Fury, Mercury Montego, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Pontiac Grand Prix, Chrysler Fifth Avenue (good name for a luxury car), Imperial (a luxury car fit for Royalty), Rolls Royce Silver Ghost and Silver Shadow (the name just oozes luxury), Pontiac Catalina, Oldsmobile Starfire, Pontiac Parisienne (just sounds luxurious), Chevy II (good name for a compact Chevrolet), International Travelall, and Ford Mustang (wild and fast like the horse it is named for).
Packard Caribbean, IH Scout, Chevrolet Biscayne
“What color was the one that instantly came to mind? I’m not sure why it’s always white for me, but there it is. Just like if someone says “Suburban,” I see the following resplendent and shiny vision of two-tone.”
The thing that I miss is the jumpy “Suburban” emblem on the back, with the letters in alternating up-and-down superscript and subscript.
https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/kv4AAOSwvX9Z1Elz/s-l225.jpg
The Studebaker Dictator! The name was dropped abruptly during 1937, for obvious reasons. Dictators were sold as “Directors” in some regions, notably in Western Europe, and British Empire countries. The Dictator name was replaced by the resurrected Commander name:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studebaker_Dictator
The best name has to be Denali. It’s perfect and attached to the perfect vehicle(s).
IMO the most clever name ever used on a vehicle is the Volkswagen Touareg. The Tuareg berbers are a formerly nomadic people that lived in the Sahara. What a fitting name for an SUV.
But then Volkswagen wants people to pronounce it “Tour-egg” instead of “Twah-regg”, and even made a lame attempt at humor in the launch commercial, with people trying to pronounce the name (one guy even correctly pronounces “Twah-regg”).
Chrysler – Newport, New Yorker, Town & Country, Fifth Avenue. Imperial Crown, LeBaron. Dodge Polara, Monaco, Royal Monaco, and Brougham. Plymouth – Fury I,II,III, Gran Coupe, Sport Fury, GT, Gran Fury. Pontiac Bonneville /Grandville. Oldsmobile Ninety Eight Regency Brougham. Cadillac Fleetwood Talisman.