# Do you name your cars? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 26, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485 "2004-03-26T02:18:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/21 "2004-03-26T06:56:38Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/22 "2004-03-26T12:33:44Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/23 "2004-03-26T12:36:39Z")
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) ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/24 "2004-03-26T12:45:59Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![N.Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@N.Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N.Sane)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/25 "2004-03-26T13:55:40Z")
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. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/26 "2004-03-26T14:09:58Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/27 "2004-03-26T14:15:38Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/28 "2004-03-26T14:22:00Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/29 "2004-03-26T14:24:37Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/30 "2004-03-26T14:29:31Z")
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**. ---
**Author:** ![AmericanMaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@AmericanMaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmericanMaid)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/31 "2004-03-26T14:43:43Z")
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! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Granuaile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecccb3/32.png) [@Granuaile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Granuaile)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/32 "2004-03-26T14:58:20Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![leafrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@leafrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leafrog)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/33 "2004-03-26T15:20:43Z")
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**. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/34 "2004-03-26T16:33:02Z")
I call mine Joan (of Arc). I pray it will burst into flames any day now so I can get rid of it. ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/35 "2004-03-26T18:28:54Z")
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” ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/36 "2004-03-26T18:39:28Z")
Cars have to _earn_ their names. My 87 Mazda 323 has been dubbed “The Gray Ghost” for only the last couple of years. ---
**Author:** ![mailman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@mailman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mailman)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/37 "2004-03-26T18:57:38Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/38 "2004-03-26T20:10:37Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/39 "2004-03-26T20:44:43Z")
[ul] [li] **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. [/li][li] **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.[/li][li] **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.[/li][li] **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.[/li][li]\*\*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.[/li][li]\*\*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_.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![carimwc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@carimwc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carimwc)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485/40 "2004-03-26T20:47:10Z")
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. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-name-your-cars/236485.md?page=3)