There is a superstition “if you get a right name for the baby, he will have a happy life”. The same rule can be applied to the car manufacturer’s babies. How did they get them?
1. Japanglish names are used as a short form of Japanese automobile brand plus short simple English compliment. Just listen:
1. Isuzu Mysterious Utility
2. Daihatsu Motor Naked
3. Honda Life Dunk
2. Some manufacturers were not unique and named cars after real people:
4. Mercedes Benz (named after the beautiful daughter of Mr. Benz)
5. Bugatti Veyron (Bugatti is a name of famous racer)
3. There are Italian-like names, which don’t make any sense:
6. Pontiac Fiero
7. Buick Reatta
8. Oldsmobile Firenza
4. Here is a short list of geographical names:
9. Hyundai Santa Fe (the capital of New Mexico State)
10. Hyundai Vera Cruz (after a small port in Mexico)
11. Subaru Tribeca (a niche in Manhattan)
12. Chevrolet Malibu
5. And some designers decided to name their babies after old professions.
13. Nissan Pathfinder
14. Defender
15. Land Rover
6. …And… after a sunrise
16. Nissan Teana (the origin of the name “teana” came from Indian “sunrise”)
17. Fiat Albea (the origin of the name “albea” came from Italian “alba”, “sunrise”)
7. Some designers were fond of music:
18. The Kia Rondo crossover (rondo – is a special musical term, meaning the repeatin tune within one musical composition)
19. Hyundai Sonata
20. Honda Jazz
21. Honda Accord
8. Some got ready to space era, using “X” letter in the new cars and concepts.
22. The Hummer HX
23. Jaguar X-Type
24. Infiniti FX45
25. Volvo XC60
9. Some made up their minds to choose a name for a car driving at its size.
26. Nissan Maxima
27. Kia Picanto (the base name came from Italian “very little, petit)
10. And here are the names which have “nomad” origin.
28. Volkswagen Touareg (Touareg is a tribe living in Sahara)
29. Nissan Qashqai ( named ater a severe tribe used to live in Iran)
11.Several designers were fond of jewelry:
30. Toyota Corolla
31. Toyota Auris (the “aurum” is a Latin word for “gold”. By the way, manufacturers claimed this car is really gold)
32. Mitsubishi Diamante ( the ugly form of spanglish “diamond”)
12. And there are real Halloween and diabolism cars:
33. Rolls-Royce Phantom
34. Lamborghini Diablo
35. AC Shelby Cobra
36. Rolls Royce Silver Ghost
13. Some manufacturers didn’t forget about diplomacy and aristocracy:
37. Dodge Diplomat
38. Lincoln Continental
39. Buick Regal
40. Mitsubishi Colt Galant
14. Some designers were true astro-scientific workers. As a result, cosmic bodies and horoscope names:
41.Dodge Aries
42. Saturn Sky
43. Ford Taurus
44. Volkswagen Phaeton (the name of Helios’s son. Helios was the Sun god. His name Phaeton couldn’t manage the carriage once and died. The astronomers claim there was a planet between Mars and Jupiter. But for some unknown reason it destroyed. They called the rest of the planet “Phaeton” after the died Sun god’s son)
15. The travelling names can enlarge our linguistic knowledge:
45. Chevrolet el Camino (once this car had fiasco because of the name. For it means “the walk” in Spanish. Who wants to drive a walking car?)
46. Toyota Passeo (The car manufacturers did the same mistake. The Spanish verb @passar means… to walk. Wanna drive fast?)
47. Chrysler ecoVoyager
48. Toyota Land Cruiser
49. Lamborghini Barchetta ( Barchetta is an Italian name meaning “little boat”)
50. Volkswagen Touran (This is the short name combined of “tour” and “sharan”)
16. The real “zoologists” gave names of insects and animals:
51. Volkswagen Bug
52. Ford Mustang
53. Plymouth Barracuda
17. And here are Indian names:
54. Pontiac Aztek
55. Jeep Cherokee
18. Don’t forget the direction cars:
56. Lincoln Navigator
57. Ford Focus
58. Jeep Compass
19. There are “Indiana Johneses” among car designers, who like adventures and expeditions:
59. GMC Safari
60. Toyota Tundra
20. And, at last, here are noble and royal cars.
61. Mercury Grand Marquis
62. Ford Crown Victoria
63. Volkswagen Sharan (meaning the old Persian’s “Carrier of kings”)