Do you name your cars?

[SSgtBaloo]

I was going to post this in "Am I the Only One?" (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=246790), but I decided that this might constitute a hijack. I'm sure many of the rest of you Dopers do this, too.

I name my cars. Actually, every member of my family does, too. When I was a kid, we had the Polara-bear (a white 1964 Dodge Polara), the "Queen Mary" (1956 Cadillac Sedan DeVille), and quite a few others I can't remember the name of. They had names, though.

I myself have personally owned:


The Stratos-Falcon -- I had delusions of grandeur on it's behalf. "It" being my first car, a clapped-out 1966 Ford Falcon with over 100,000 hard miles on it. I actually put wide tires and air shocks in the back and installed a tiny aftermarket steering wheel. This thing had a 200 cubic-inch six in it. The only way it could've set a record in the quarter mile would be to drop it from 1320 feet of altitude.

The Little Yellow Monster (a.k.a. The Little Yellow Hootenanny) -- A 1972 Toyota Celica coupe with over 65,000 (apparently quite abusive) miles on it. I didn't realize at the time that buyer's remorse was a good-enough excuse to take it back to the dealer and demand a refund. If I'd had more motorhead friends (or more automotive skills myself) it would've been a very, very nice car. It was fun, but it always sounded as if it were about to breathe its last. The guy I sold it to rebuilt it and I always wished that I'd paid him to do that for me rather than sell it. My next car was rather unexciting, but at least I had a motorcycle for fun.

The Battlecruiser -- A 1976 Ford Grenada with that gray paint that everyone (except me) thought looked so sophisticated during the mid-seventies. It had a peeling maroon vinyl top. It was hideous, but it worked.

The Smurfmobile -- A 1986 Chevy Sprint (rebadged Suzuki Swift, if I'm not mistaken). It had 48 hamster-power (one less than my motorcycle at the time) and got better than 35 MPG around town. It was a hoot to drive as long as you weren't interested in going very fast before, say, Tuesday after next?

A 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix that I inexplicably could not name. It was white and relatively problem-free. It was definitely the sexiest and sportiest car I had ever owned. I once thought of naming it the Snow Leopard, but said "Nawwww....". It was about this time I came up with the theory that a car which didn't irritate you in some way did not inspire a name.

The Baby Shoe -- a 1992 Buick Skylark Grand Sport Coupe. I think it was my own fault that I could not warm up to this car. After all, it was a Buick, fer crissakes! Of course, it was white.

The Bulldog -- a 1995 Dodge Stratus ES. I loved that car. It was the most powerful car I had ever owned. Don't laugh. Refer to the Smurphmobile above. It handled predictably, if not particularly well (I could bend it to my will with no "surprises"). It got decent gas mileage.

The string of named cars is broken here -- I was married to TW, during which time I traded her car up several times and mine once. After we divorced, she insisted we trade cars (her A/C didn't work -- she didn't know about my car's electrical problems, I remembered her car was still under an extended service agreement :D), so that leaves me with...

The Breadbox -- a 1994 Dodge Grand Caravan. I'm no warmer to this vehicle than I was to the Baby Shoe. I must admit it accelerates harder than my previous car, a 1993 Chrysler Concorde. It rides smoother. I also sit much higher and feel like I'm driving a phone booth around town. I prefer cars to trucks or truck-like vehicles.


What cars have you owned and what were their names?

--SSgtBaloo

[CaptBushido]

Well, the only two cars that I know of that my family ever named are:

1. The Lizard - A lime green El Camino. Oh yeah. It got run into a pole leaving a huge dent at the dead center of the front of the car, which for some reason gave it an oddly, reptilian look. This happened before I was born so I only know it from parental stories. :(

2. The car I currently drive, a 94 Buick Roadmaster, has been redubbed by our family as The RoadMasher. You know, because it's so big, har har.

[Really Not All That Bright]

1) Dino- a '93 maroon Accord EX, chipped to a little under 190 bhp. Once beat a '79 Porsche 911 CS in a "0-60 from the lights" race, thanks to my natty "throw it into D3 at exactly 2900 revs" trick. So named because we were moving an old fridge out one day, and started throwing the attached magnets around in the backyard. One happened to be Dino- the dinosaur/dog from The Flintstones- and it hit the car and stuck just above the right taillight cluster, just where a badge would usually go. It looked so right that I left it there for three years. Put 170,000 miles on her, until she finally died when a fan relay failed on an Ohio-Florida drive, causing massive overheating (temporarily overcome by removing the front grille and doing 90 down the entire length of I-75), which led to a blown head gasket :(.
The car by which all others I have or will own shall be judged.

2) Baby Blue- a navy '95 Nissan Altima GLE. We were together for only a short time; she developed an engine fault- kind of a stutter- shortly after I got her, and neither Nissan nor the shitty dealer I bought her from could correctly diagnose it. I swallowed a $4k loss on that one, mostly through my own stupidity.

3) Roxanne- an '02 black Hyundai Elantra GLS. So named because I backed her into an illegally-parked truck while attempting to make a cigarette run while half-asleep, causing the left rear taillight cover to be smashed- hence, she needed to "put on a red light". She's up to almost 35,000 miles now, with nary a problem, although I need to take her in for a recall refitting of the brake lines.

[Uvula Donor]

Three of my vehicles have been named:

The Beast - A 1977 Ford F-250 pickup; it was a 4WD extended cab monster with a 9-foot flatbed and a plow. A friend of mine and I removed the original engine and replaced it with a 351-C 4v from a 1970 Mercury, which we had completely rebuilt. I painted the cab in camouflage. It was very distinctive.
The Black Bison - It's a Thomas Minotour-A school bus on a Ford E350 chassis, painted black with red flames on the hood and fenders. No seats - I use it as a hauler to set up stuff at flea markets.
Stybba - My daily drive, a small black '92 Mazda pickup that has proved every bit as rugged and dependable as the small pony it was named for, the pony Merry rode in Lord of the Rings.

[VunderBob]

I had a '81 Dodge Diplomat that I dubbed Uriah Heap.

My present '88 Chevy S-10 POS (all black) is The Hostile Amishman.

I refer to whatever replaces the S-10 as The VunderCar.

[Uncle Dragon]

Okay I know this doesn't really fit here. I don't name my vehicles, but every time I park, just before I get out, I give them an affectionate little pat on the dash and tell them "good car". Highly demented, I know.

[Really Not All That Bright]

Okay I know this doesn't really fit here. I don't name my vehicles, but every time I park, just before I get out, I give them an affectionate little pat on the dash and tell them "good car". Highly demented, I know.
You touch your car's dash in public?

Jesus.. what if children are around?

[Roadwalker]

I had a gray 1971 Mustang called The Apocalypse.

[Little Nemo]

I've always figured there's no sense giving something a name if it isn't go to respond to it. So I don't name cars, houses, household appliances, or cats.

[Mercury]

DaNasty - 1989 Dodge Dynasty (primer)

Beryl - 1990 Geo Prizm (grey)

Veronica Marie - 1991 Ford Taurus SHO (white)

Erin Forester - Subaru Forester

Beatriz de Taurus - Ford Taurus (aka The Blue Beast, Big Blue and Captain BlindSpot)

Kelly Greene - Subaru Impreza (green)

[FatBaldGuy]

Used to have a blue 1993 Chevy van, which we named "Vanna Blue." We even got custom license plates "VANA BLU."

One of our current cars, which I got from my SIL when they moved, is an old Toyota Corolla which used to be owned by a schoolteacher. One day in the faculty lot somebody keyed the word "Fag" on the driver's door, so the car was named "The Fagmobile," and we inherited the name along with the car. I think I'll forgo the vanity plates on this one, however.

[caray]

You know, for some reason, I've had 3 different cars that I named Sylvia. I'm not really sure why, but the name just seemed to fit all of them.

I also had one named "Petey".

Do you ever wonder why some cars get "girl" names and some get "guy" names, and some get neutral names? :confused:

My current car was somewhat difficult to name. I usually let them tell me if they're male or female, and usually an appropriate name comes to me eventually. Right now I'm driving a 2000 Ford Taurus sedan, and it feels like a female, but the only name that came to me was "Taury" -- not too original. I really like this car, too, but she just doesn't have a whole lot of personality.

I haven't (so far) gotten into naming them based on a physical characteristic...

[herownself]

My car has a name, but we both think its a little silly so we keep it to ourselves.

[woodstock989]

Does "damn piece of shit" count?
:D

[zweisamkeit]

My car is a 1991 Dodge Shadow (silver, 2 door but bargain-basement model. Fear my 3 speed automatic!), and it never occurred to me not to name it. I name most of the stuff I have.

So her name is Stella. :cool:

[donnah]

freaky mavericky-my very first car which i actually went to the bank and got a $750 loan for was a 1977 ford maverick....in the fashionable shade of pea green.

the rocket-my '99 candy apple red trans am/ram air. this is not very original, but appropriate.... :cool:

[chique]

Do I name my cars? Only when I'm pissed at them.

Just so you know, my car is currently at LEAST 75 feet away, on the other side of the house, and up one floor. There is no way that My Baby can possibly think I would ever say anything bad about it. I have only been pissed at previous cars, never My Baby.

You know what happens when cars catch wind of their owners bitching about them, right?

[AskNott]

A '59 Pontiac Bonneville named Poncho Blue Puppydog.

A '69 Buick LeSabre named Maurice. Maurice was loaded, had an electric seat that would lean back to where I looked like a normal sized guy.

A '61 Ford Vanette named Harvey (the famed 6-foot rabbit could have stood up inside without touching his ears on the ceiling) Harvey was a breadtruck-sized delivery van with dual rear wheels.

A '71 Volvo 244 named Rolf. I loved the seats, but it broke a lot.

A '74 Olds Delta Royale named Vera. All green with huge cushy seats.

A '75 Pontiac Grand Am, back when the GA was big, named Lydia. I had a speed shop put on headers and a huge Holley carb. Cragar wheels, fat tires. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

An '85 Buick Riviera whose name I can't recall.

An '85 Chevy Silverado 1/2 ton pickup, Boris, after Yeltsin, who was a big deal then. I later bought a fishing boat named with the same red/silver paint scheme named Natasha, after Boris Badenov's squeeze.

My current ride is a '95 GMC Sierra 1/2 ton shortbed with extended cab. The name is Oliver, but I rarely call it that.

[torie]

Rhonda- A 1994 Chrysler LeBaron GTC Convertable. It was way to over the top to be female, but to pretty to be male. We decided she was a drag queen and named her Rhonda. When she had her pretty white fluffy steering wheel cover on, she was Shenaynay! :D

My current car is a Daewoo Laganza SE. I named her Pookie. Not sure why, but when I am talking to her, that's what I call her. :confused:

[Abbie Carmichael]

No names, but our current minivan and the car before it are both boys.

[Tikki]

I've never owed a car but I fantasize about having a Kia just so I can have the custom plate KIA PET.

K-k-k-Kia!

[Lsura]

The only car I can remember having a name is the one I have now. It's the{

E-Z Bake Oven, or E-Z Bake. It's a 1994 Suzuki Swift, black, with a dark interior and no air conditioning that I or a member of my family have driven through 8 Southern (Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia & now TN again) summers.

I swear you could bake a cake in it during the summer sometimes.

[pullin]

A white supercab diesel pickup: Bismarck (due to its size).

We have an even bigger truck now: Bessie (my daughter named it.. don't know why)

[TheLoadedDog]

Like my pets, my cars tend to get bland, suburban human names. It makes them seem more alive (why call a cat "socks" when you can call it "Dave" or "Bob"?):

Craig: a 1975 Kodak yellow Chrysler Galant station wagon. The name had a surfer image to it, like the car did. Young and carefree.
Ron: A 1981 XD Ford Falcon. A blokey name for a blokey car.
Susan: A 1990 Toyota Hiace van. She had childbearing hips.
Abe: A 1984 VK Holden Commodore. The rego was "ABE....". Usually referred to respectfully as "Abraham". The only non-arbitrary name I've used.
Des: Same type of car as Ron. Same reasons.
Lucille: A 1972 Ford Fairlane V8 tank. Bluesmobile-type car, hence the departure from the suburban naming scheme.


My last two cars have had no name. The one I'm driving now is modern, economical, and sensible. I'm becoming a grown-up. I even bought a fucking house today. Kerrrr-EYE-stah.

[N. Sane]

1980 Toyota Corolla - it was named Charlie.

1989 Isuzu Pickup - its name is Jake

1993 Chevy Cavalier - her name was Millie

and my new 2003 Isuzu Rodeo is named Buffy. After the Vampire Slayer. :)

[Eliahna]

I think all my parents cars have been Betsy.

My only car is Sofie.

Mr Cazzle has had three cars all named Warp 5, and that's confusing because we talk about Warp 5, the Old Warp 5 and the Original Warp 5. I need to confiscate those Warp 5 plates until he can come up with a distinguishing name for his car.

[Draelin]

My first car ('92 Hyundai Excel with power nothing) was Duncan MacHyundai of the Clan MacHyundai. He had three transmissions and two engines. Once, we hit a bird, and the whole car shook (which was, of course, the Quickening). I finally drove the poor thing into the ground, but he was a good, solid, dependable car, except for the transmission thing. I owe all my upper-arm strength to trying to parallel park in that thing.

Then I had a black '98 Nissan Sentra named Malkier. Now, Malkier, if you know what it means, is kind of an ill-fated name for a car. And lo and behold, one year later, Malkier was taken by the Blight ... or a Honda driven by a moron, either one.

My next car was a black Chevy Cavalier Z24. Sporty, sleek, definitely female. I named her Isabeaux.

Currently, I have an '02 Honda CR-V, blue. I tried out the name Belgarion for the first few weeks, but discovered that my baby is most certainly named Kal-El. Now I just have to paint the appropriate symbol on the tire cover.

[Miss Mapp]

My old 1996 Saturn was "Baby."

When I got my new Saturn in 2002, I officially named it "Rhapsody," because it's blue, but have just wound up calling it "Baby" too.

[Trunk]

I had a blue 1989 Volvo 240 DL with 125K that I called The Blue Rajah.

I thought it was an exotic name for a the chunkiest thing out there.

My wife used to have a silver Probe and whenever I thought she hadn't heard it in a while, I'd say "Nice car. My proctologist has a silver probe."

[yellowval]

I've only actually had two cars in my lifetime, but they've both had names.
I had a green '93 Dodge Shadow named Bill.
Now I have a '99 Neon (bright blue with a spoiler) named Lola becuase she's a showgirl. :)
I also named my husband's 2000 Impala The Pimpmobile in honor of Snoop Dogg, of course.
The only cars I can remember having names when I was growing up were my dad's pick-up, The S.S. Minnow, dubbed as such because it once fell through the ice while he was ice fishing; and my mom's silver Cadillac, which we called The Titanic.

[AmericanMaid]

All my cars have had names and I do pat my cars and tell them "Good car" too. I blame this on having Greek mythology read to me when I was little so I grew up believing inanimate objects are alive or are ruled over by a God of Cars or something. To this day, me and my mom pray to the Parking Gods when we're trying to find a parking space. It usually works too. Imagine what would happen if we sacrificed a goat! :D

[Granuaile]

My first car was a tan '82 Toyota Tercel. Not just any tan but the colour of a sick dog's feces tan. It didn't help that I drove the crap out of it, so it was dubbed the Shitmobile or on a good day, The Brown Bomber.

The second car I named was a '95 Mazda Protege. The Rugbymobile She was the unofficial shuttle to all local games/pissups and had a big Red Cross decal on it that said "Give Blood, Play Rugby."

The last car I named is my '77 MGB Roadster. She's Tahitian Blue (sort of a dark French Blue) and considered to be very tempermental. Her name is Stella. Literally no one else can start her, except for me. She's not tempermental, just loyal. I'm saving her for when my eldest learns to drive. When I told my daughter this, she informed me that once she got the car she was going to paint it pink and call it Princess.

I think an intervention may be in order.

[leafrog]

My first car, a 1975 Fiat was called Franco or Franco my Fabulous Fiat. He really wasn't that fabulous and would regularly die in the middle of intersections.

Now I have a 1994 Pontiac Grand Prix which I have named after Richard Nixon; he generally gets called Dick.

I have a friend who had an Impala named Vlad.

[The Great Sun Jester]

I call mine Joan (of Arc).

I pray it will burst into flames any day now so I can get rid of it.

[LVgeogeek]

My husbands car, a 1960 Buick LeSabre, we call it The Beast. His BMW that we have recently ridded ourselves of had a name, but he never told me what it was...hmmm... anyway...

I am currently trying to think of a name for my new car, a bright blue metallic 2004 Honda Civic EX, I am at a loss as what to name it...

My previous cars:
-teal metallic 1995 Saturn SC2 was nameless as well (maybe that is why it had problems)
-purple metallic 1994 Saturn SC2 was The Grape
-red 1990 Chevy Cavalier was 'Lil Red
-red 1984 Mazda GLC never has a name but "POS"

[ftg]

Cars have to earn their names. My 87 Mazda 323 has been dubbed "The Gray Ghost" for only the last couple of years.

[mailman]

My Dad's '65 Impala, the first car he ever bought brand new, was always called "The Green Machine."

I bought a '61 Valiant, with the infamous push button transmission. This car, the one I had when I was young and carting buddies around all the time was known as "The Car of the Future."

Now I am old and married. I bought a used mini van, a Caravan, and being a cheap bastard tried to do every bit of work on it that I could before taking it to a professional. This lead to some very interesting Rube Goldberg style repairs, and the van earned, and was proudly referred to until its ultimate demise, as "Apollo 13"--sometimes just Apollo.

[kath94]

My 2004 Toyota Corolla is named Lola. Get it? Lola Corolla. As a Barry Manilow fan I also like to sing...

Her name is Lola
She's a Corolla...

The Kinks can play, too...

Lola, L-O-L-A, Lola
La la la la Lo-ho-la

Lord, I need a life.

[Kizarvexius]

Sybil (83 Mercury Lynx) - My first car. My parents bought it used, of course. Don't ask me how an 83 model ended up with an 8-track player though. Named it "Sybil" because it had 8 separate and distinct personalities.
Da Hois (84 Mercury Station Wagon) - Was my mom's car until she bought her mini-van (Da Party Bus). Then I pretty much inherited it. I started calling it "Da Hois" as a pseudo-Jersey pronunciation of "hearse", but I always told my mother I was saying "horse" lest she think me ungrateful.
Hester (93 Geo Metro) - The first car I actually bought for myself. Cherry red, grey interior, no frills. I was originally going to call it "The Tomato", but my mother suggested "Hester" as in Hester Prynne, the Scarlet Woman (yes, I know, it was the letter that was scarlet). The name stuck. A friend of mine who spoke German called her "Die Liebertomatowagen". Totalled in an accident about six months after I finished paying for her.
Sophie (98 Chevy Metro LSI) - Not sure why I picked that name, but it just seemed to fit. Sophie got carted off by the repo man while I was going through a severe financial crisis, which utterly traumatized my daughter. She kept saying to the ladies at daycare "somebody came and took Sophie away" -- I kept getting asked if I had another daughter who had been kidnapped.
Bruce (1983 Ford F-100 Pickup) - Big manly testosterone laden vehicle. Needed a macho name. Given to us for a very reasonable price by my daughter's godparents. Finally deposited vital pieces of its transmission somewhere on Hwy 54.
Moby (2000 Saturn Wagon) - It's big, white, and vaguely whale-shaped. Well, very vaguely. Definitely not sexy. But, it's mine. My own. My precious.

[carimwc]

My first car was a '94 Taurus named Zach. I don't know why, but he just felt like a Zach, and yes it was a he not a she.

My second car, my baby, was a '92 Taurus named Hilary. She was the car I learned to drive on and managed to take from my parents. Unfortunately she was totalled last September when a cabbie rear-ended me during rush hour. *Sniff*

My current car, a '94 Pontiac Bonneville belongs to my boyfriend. He named her Mary Jane but I call her Bonnie. He drives my car, whom I have named Carrie, but I think he may have a different name for her.

[AskNott]

Ooops. I forgot Wanda, a wonderful '56 Buick Special 4-door. She was named for Neil Young's Kinda Fonda Wanda ("cause Wanda always wanna, wanna, wanna...") from his rockabilly album.

[quilter]

Bess aka Bessie, aka Good Queen Bess. 85 Mazda 626, drove her across the country and back multiple times, lasted through grad school with no tune-ups or oil changes, and finally went away when it was going to cost more to replace a CV joint than she was worth. I was her first and, I think, only owner.

Phoebe. Plain, no-nonsense '00 Saturn. (Phoebe being one of Saturn's moons, after all.) Bought when I needed a fast replacement for Bess. No love lost when she got traded in for...

Shadowfax. '04 almost-white Outback sedan. Fast, effortless, AWD, and could maybe be another own-15-years set of wheels.

[caveman]

Lenny Sky Blue 1985 Nissan 200SX, failed to start at random intervals, non-functioning radio, power nuthin'...but oh-so-fun when he did start...

Sparx Gold-Sparkly Black 1996 Saturn SL2, good, good car, still lacking powered amenities, with very occasional electrical issues...I learned to drive a stick with ol' Sparx...

Telemachus Silky Silver 2003 Suzuki Aerio SX, odd car, but very nice so far...power everything!

[Sinshine]

Our family's history of naming cars goes back at least as far as their wedding. Their first car was a pea-green Gremlin, affectionately known as Booger. Booger retired before I came along, I think. What followed it, I don't know.

My parents bought a red station wagon for our cross-Canada move when I was seven. That was the Dominion-Mobile.

When I was 14, my dad bought a brown Honda Civic hatchback, the kind that were much rounder than anything on the roads today. It was a cranky, cranky car, and we dubbed it The Cinnamon Bear.

When I was 16, he bought an '86 Honda Civic hatchback. It was brand-new, and I told him its name was Bessie. He was okay with that.

When I went off to college, there was a blue Buick, which shall remain nameless, as it frustrated my mother all to heck. Her exact words.

When I returned from college, The Car Who Shall Remain Nameless had been retired, and the Blue Lagoon, a blue Honda Accord with a leaky sunroof, had become my mother's chariot of choice.

I bought myself an '86 Hyundai Pony about 4 years ago, and shouldn't have paid a red cent for it. But, it was my first car, and the girls in the youth group I was leading at the time christened it Pegasus. When they were not around to object, I referred to it as My Little Pony, and increasingly, The Shitbox. Not surprisingly, it didn't like my attitude, and died.

Just before The Shitbox sputtered its last, Dad took me out for lunch, and over to the insurance agent to "renew his insurance." I looked on in shock and joy as he told the agent he was signing 16-year-old Bessie over to me. I learned to drive standard with Bessie's help. I love that car.

In the meantime, my brother has a new lady with a son and a car of their own. We asked the four-year-old if they had named their car, and he said "No. Cars aren't people. Cars are cars. They need gas, not names." Bro now refers to their car as Car. That is its name. His stepson is thoroughly disgusted.

[spiralscratch]

My first car, a 1980 Toyota Tercel hatchback, was called "The Gerbil".

The car was an ugly, brown POS, and had absolutely no power at all. One day, when the car was being even more cranky than usual, a friend of mine made a comment on how the gerbils underneath the hood weren't doing so well. The car became known as "The Gerbil" immediately after that.

A few years later I managed to crunch the front end into the back of a pickup. I couldn't afford a new car, so I had to replace the hood and fenders. Unfortunately, the only match I could find in a salvage yard (the 1980 model was a bit different than the '81 and 82, and very hard to find) was a light metallic blue. Henceforth, the car became known by the full name of "The Blue-Nose Gerbil", but I kept "The Gerbil" for short.

My other two cars haven't really inspired any names. I tried to think of one for the 1990 Acura Integra a few times, but nothing seemed to work. I've not tried to come up with one for my current car, a 2003 Lexus IS300.

[Intent]

I got my first car in 2000, a bright, bright green '93 Ford Ranger. I was 16, and I named him Pinky the Flying Jalapeno. Shortened to Pinky. The little truck that could.

Inicidentally, Pinky had the same personality as my horse did. A little slow, but more heart than you could ever hope for. Once we got over our differences (I jumped that car more times than I could count in the first month), we had a wonderful relationship. Lots of talking to that truck, "C'mon Pinky, you can do it! Yeah, go Pinky go!" and we (my best friend and I) used to 'scratch him behind the ears' (the front visors), and pet him and tell him to stay in place.

A year ago, I wanted something bigger, and I recieved my grandmothers '99 blue Chevy Lumina. Pinky was handed down to my younger brother, who had just turned 16, and would not call a truck Pinky. I haven't figured out a good name for current car. As it is, the little truck will be sold soon. So long, Pinky.

[BobbySuezQ]

I had never named my cars. Yes, that is past tense. In February I ordered a Mini and my MA (motoring advisor) said to me "Of course you'll want to name your Mini." :confused: No, not really. But then I looked through a brochure she had given me. It has a spot for my Mini's Picture, VIN and NAME. yikes!

So I got to thinking. How do I know if this car I don't even own yet is a boy or a girl? My Corvettes are without a doubt Female. I've never named them. The closest I have come to that is referring to my car as "She." such as "yup, she's got some giddy-up to her."

Anyway, back to the Mini. It felt a bit odd, but I named it Mr. Q. It's growing on me.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

The only car I ever named was a 1974 Beetle. It was that hideous dark green that seemed to be unique to VWs. It was about 50% rust. I called it the Ratmobile.

[zoogirl]

My parents owned three cars during my life time, all named Betsy. They were a '49 Kaiser-Fraser. a '56 Dodge Regent and a '65 Pontiac Strato Chief, which I technically still own, I guess, except some twit swiped it's rusty carcass from Mom's yard back in '96. Hadda use a towtruck!

Mr zoogirl and I have had a number of cars, all named. Lessee,

'77 Chevy -Chocolate Bar
'77 Chevy - The Beast
'8? Ford Zephr Wagon - The Brick
'84 Chevette - Bounce
'84 Acadian - Arky, the only car that was all mine :)
'86 Dodge Ram Van - The Island Bobsled
'84 Hyundai Pony - Cherry

And our current girl, an '86 Chevy Cavalier named Squee. Nope, still haven't made it into the Nineties!

[jellyblue]

When I was in grad school, I named my new black Honda Civic (quintessential grad school car) "Jellybean". I have a hard time not calling my current car that (black Celica...I only like black cars.) My girlfriend's Jeep Grand Cherokee is "Landshark".

Congrats on your new house, Loaded Dog!

[F. U. Shakespeare]

I've owned two cars in my life.

1986: A black Dodge Charger I named Grabwell (after watching a 'Green Acres' episode -- it was the product trademark of resident huckster Mr. Haney).

1993: A red Honda Civic DX Hatchback which I named Red after the eponymous cult-status bartender Louis 'Red' Deutsch of New Jersey's Tube Bar.

Red's got 230,000+ miles on him, and will be retiring soon.

[Newton meter]

My wife had an '86 Mercury Topaz named "Gypsy" after the vacuum cleaner on MST3K. I had a '93 Chevy Cavalier named "the Noo Noo" after the vacuum cleaner on the Teletubbies.

Our current car is a '01 Chevy Malibu named "Carson", because Carson lived in Malibu and I wouldn't let my wife name him "Barbie".

One of my motorcycles is "Sarah" because that was the name of a previous owner and all her maintenance records came in a binder with that name written on it. The other motorcycle is "Milo" because that was the name of the salesman I bought it from, and it seemed like it fit him.

[zoogirl]

Kid, the Younger just reminded me that I forgot his all-time favorite, an off white, '68 Chevy one ton flatbed named Cream. Oops, my bad!

[jastu]

I'm the only member of my entire family who doesn't name cars. I didn't realise so many other people did this, maybe I'm the oddball here.

[moriah]

I have a friend who had an Impala named Vlad.

Hey! That's my bad pun! I've called my '74 Chevy Impala (cross between a land yacht and a tank) Vlad the Impala (http://www.tabula-rasa.info/DarkAges/VladTheImpaler.html) since its acquisition in 1986. (Do you know me?)

Before Vlad, I had a green Hornet I ingeniously called, The Green Hornet (http://www.thegreenhornet.com/pages/247506/index.htm).

After Vlad was a Ford Taurus called, Martin, as in Martin of Taurus (http://www.cin.org/martours.html).

When Martin died, I acquired a Toyota Avalon which I dubbed Oberon. (King of Avalon, the land of faeries and wife to Titania -- they appear in "A Midsummer's Night Dream.")

Peace.

[Happy Lendervedder]

I've got a blue 2002 Taurus named Babe (after the big blue ox), but I give it the Spanish pronunciation (ba-bay).



Happy

[Jman]

I named my old 1992 Honda Civic Murray for some strange reason.

My current car, a 2001 Nissan Sentra SE is Merlin.

[earthpuppy]

I haven't named my cars in the past, but I have always referred to them as "she/her."

I just bought a BMW and have named her Augustina.

Not sure why I was compelled to name this one.

[OtakuLoki]

I've named most of my cars.

First there was The Beast, named with malice of forethought to be completely insulting to the 1980 Dodge Omni. Of course, The Beast took revenge by having the front transaxle seperating on a back road in New England. When I heard from Chrysler that they'd recalled a number of those vehicles for the problem, which we'd never heard about, I change the name from The Beast to Deathmobile. I never liked that car.

Then there was Octavian. She was a '77 Dodge Aspen Wagon. The perfect Boston area driving car. Granted, got 12 mpg highway, but damn one felt safe in her.

After Octavian finally died I did without for a while before getting a second hand '89 Ford Escort. Calafia was a great car. Ran well, excellent mileage. Always got me home safe.

When she died, I ended up buying a '97 Ford Escort Wagon: Mirai who did quite well by me, too. I find a good name makes for a loyal car. :D

[Clothahump]

I had a 1971 Ford Maverick that I called the War Wagon. I drove that thing over, under, around and sometimes through Austin, TX, going in places where the Army would be afraid to drive a tank.

Lately, the cars have been named based on their colors: the White Knight, the Grey Ghost, the POGSmobile (Piece Of Green Shit).

[Fritz The Cat]

My wife names all our cars, the one that stands out in my mind is my pea green 1975 LTD wagon, she named it Bertha.