As a child, my parents had a period where they purchased well-worn P4 Rovers for our family vehicle. These classic British icons from mainly the 1950s came equipped with premium leather, genuine wooden accents, and plush, heavy-duty carpets. However, despite their luxurious features, these large saloon cars were unwieldy, unattractive, and extremely sluggish.
Nevertheless, one of the earliest acquisitions, a 75 in a charmingly faded blue hue, earned itself the moniker Gertie. This was acceptable until news circulated through the family that my domineering Great Aunt Gertrude had been offended.
All at once, things clicked into place, revealing the origin behind the nickname for our large, frequently unpredictable family car.
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However, this tale isn't centered around those types of car names (even though it'd be fantastic to read some of your favorites in the feedback section).
In this case, we are concentrating on names created in an equally natural manner, ones that draw inspiration from a vehicle’s primary features. However, these model names also heavily reflect the future owner’s dreams and anticipated feelings once they start driving the car.
The moniker could precede the vehicle itself, steering its developmental path and inspiring the creators—both designers and engineers—to bring it to life.
Or it surfaces midway through development to establish the car’s market positioning and synchronize it with other models.
Given everything discussed, here’s our top car names countdown starting at ten and going down to number one! Don’t forget to share your thoughts on these picks and suggest your favorites in the comments section below. Let’s get started.
10. Hudson Hornet
How can we move beyond this splendid example of automotive alliteration to start our list? Particularly when it brings to mind such vivid imagery of a vehicle equipped with an aggressive punch at the rear.
Powered by a thundering
5.0-litre
The 'Fabulous Hudson Hornet,' featuring a inline six-cylinder engine paired with a high-compression alloy head, dominated the racing scene in the early 1950s. This iconic vehicle inspired the character of Doc Hudson—a cranky judge who reluctantly becomes a driving instructor—in Pixar’s movie “Cars” from 2006. As they say, "To move left, you must first steer right."
Did you know? The Hornet might be the ancestor of
Dodge’s
The Super Bee muscle car from the late 1960s?
9. Rolls-Royce Phantom
In establishing itself as the leader
luxury car
pyramid
Rolls-Royce
It was clearly recognized early on that a strong name plays a crucial role in this mix. It has also produced some of the all-time great names as a result.
In the early stages of the company’s growth, before entities like
Bentley
Let the size of its engines determine its model designations, and Lagonda focused on the power output of its vehicles. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce explored 'the other side' with model names such as
Ghost
,
Wraith
and
Phantom
. Hard to beat.
Did you know? In 2025, The Phantom will mark its centenary, with the introduction of the Phantom 1 dating back to 1925.
8. Lancia Stratos
Notably using the letters from the Greek alphabet for naming numerous vehicles,
Lancia
deviated from that custom for the release of this eye-catching, midfield car.
sports car
in 1973.
Translating to 'army' or 'good soldier' in Greek, this name was originally used for Bertone’s striking Stratos Zero.
concept car
written by Marcello Gandini) in 1970, however the mid-engine,
Ferrari
The 'Dino' V6-equipped production car emerged as a legendary rally champion, securing championship titles consecutively from 1974 to 1976.
Interesting tidbit: In early 1971, Nuccio Bertone took the Stratos Zero prototype car to Lancia's offices in Turin with the aim of making an impression on the higher-ups within the firm. Legend has it that when the security personnel tried to stop him, he merely guided the vehicle beneath the barrier due to its remarkably low height of only 838 millimeters.
7. Lamborghini Diablo
You can keep your
Countach
,
Miura
And even your Sesto Elemento. No phrase encapsulates Ferruccio Lamborghini's admiration for a bull's strength and nimbleness better than this name itself.
Diablo
.
Signore Lamborghini had long since sold the car company he started when this V12-powered wedge of Italian exotica debuted in 1990 (he died in 1993) but it reflected his admiration for fighting bulls, this car named in honour of ‘Demonio’ (Devil in English and Diablo in Italian), a particularly ferocious beast owned by the Spanish Duke of Veragua in the 19th century. Olé!
Interesting tidbit: The Diablo was the initial mass-produced vehicle to boast a peak speed surpassing 200 mph, claiming a top speed of 325 km/h (202 mph). Additionally, the standard 5.7-liter V12 engine could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds.
6. Ford Mustang
The Blue Oval has consistently excelled with catchy names such as
Bronco
,
Falcon
And "Thunderbird" is included in its publications. Nonetheless, there have been occasional mistakes like
Ka
,
Kuga
and
Probe
have caused an unexpected problem. However, not even wild horses could prise away the name
Mustang
From this lineup, what about the spin-offs? The Boss, Mach 1, (Shelby) Cobra, Bullitt... the list continues.
First used for a lineup of concept vehicles starting in 1962 with a mid-engine, two-passenger model, this captivating moniker was then shifted to the final production variant that made its debut three years afterward.
Fun fact: The
Ford
The Mustang moniker is attributed to the studio designer, John Najjar, who played a key role in bringing the original 'Mustang 1' prototype into existence. His inspiration came from the WWII P-51 aircraft (you know, the one with the powerful Merlin engine).
5. Plymouth Fury
Stephen King is well-versed in crafting chilling tales and had no trouble choosing a 1958 Plymouth Fury as the main character in his 1983 book "Christine," which was later adapted into a film. The vivid crimson two-door hardtop version took center stage when the movie hit theaters that very year.
Chrysler’s
The Plymouth division retained this evocative nameplate across seven generations from 1955 to 1978, equipped with various V8 engines, such as the 5.2-litre, dual-four barrel 'V-800 Dual Fury' at the beginning of its production cycle.
Interesting tidbit: In King's novel from 1958, the Fury was depicted as a red four-door model, despite this option not being available for any of the Fury variants produced by Plymouth that year.
4. Corvette Stingray
A stingray's sleek, camouflaged shape, swift and smooth motion, along with its lengthy venomous appendage, creates a formidable creature lurking on the ocean bed. This appearance has had a lasting impact.
Chevrolet’s
Corvette
sports car throughout much of its over 70-year history.
The Sting Ray moniker debuted with the second-generation Chevrolet Corvette in 1963 (every 'C2' Corvette is referred to as a Sting Ray). It then condensed into a single word for the C3 Corvette Stingray starting in 1968.
Since then, it has seen intermittent use, with the latest C8 iteration (the initial one to be released officially in Australia) providing the Stingray as the base model option.
Interesting tidbit: Not many production vehicles have been christened with names inspired by fish, but the AMC Marlin, Opel Manta, and Plymouth Barracuda ('Cuda) lead the pack. Can you think of others?
3. Hennessy Venom
The Texas-based company Hennessey Performance Engineering created its initial Venom GT model, which was derived from the original design.
Lotus Elise
, in 2011. Driven by a
turbocharged
The 7.0-litre GM 'LS7' V8 engine allowed it to achieve an independent measurement of a top speed reaching 427.4 km/h.
It was followed by the custom-built Venom F5 in 2020. This model is driven by Hennessy's 6.6-liter engine.
1354kW/16218Nm
The twin-turbo 'Fury' V8 (derived from the GM LS engine platform), which the company intends to push towards breaking the 500 km/h mark eventually. This potent two-seater is sure to make your adrenaline surge!
Did you know? The Viper stands out as an incredibly effective venomous predator in the natural world, much like how the Dodge Viper (which sadly didn’t make the original cut) was designed with efficiency in mind. It was originally planned to have a V8 engine; however, due to previous financial rescue efforts from the government towards Chrysler, this idea had to be scrapped. Consequently, it ended up being equipped with a powerful V10 engine. Quite serpentine indeed!
2. Aston Martin Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a Valkyrie is depicted as a female entity who leads departed souls to Odin’s hall, known as Valhalla. A device worthy of bearing such a name must indeed be extraordinary, and this Aston Martin surely fits that description.
Created by the renowned F1 designer Adrian Newey, this vehicle boasts a 6.5-liter naturally-aspirated Cosworth V12 engine capable of spinning up to over 11,000 rpm. With assistance from an F1-inspired KERS system, it delivers 865 kW / 900 Nm of power in a lightweight carbon-fiber-bodied two-seater.
1355kg
Accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.6 seconds, this vehicle stands as a legendary hypercar.
Fun fact:
Aston’s
The long-standing focus on 'V' for naming conventions has resulted in some striking names, such as Valhalla.
Vanquish
,
Vantage
And Vulcan. But we're uncertain regarding the Aston Martin Victor. Nevertheless, since its name pays tribute to Victor Gauntlett, who was instrumental as the brand’s savior in the 1980s, and considering it's a single-unit model with a manual transmission,
V12
Brutal as it may be, what's attached to it is amazing, so we can overlook it.
1. Jensen Interceptor
Although Mad Max Rockatansky’s fellow members of the Main Force Patrol operated in pairs using 'Pursuit' specials, their iconic protagonist preferred to operate alone in his adventures.
‘Interceptor’
Cinematic lore reveals that he (and his vehicle) displayed scant compassion throughout the desolate territories, yet this V8 Interceptor isn’t the initial one to ignite car lovers' fascination.
The Jensen Interceptor was a car with American power, but designed and manufactured in Britain as a GT vehicle.
coupe
and convertible manufactured over a span of 10 years through three generations starting from 1966. Equipped with 5.9-, 6.2-, and 7.3-litre Chrysler V8 engines at different times, it primarily came with a three-speed (Torqueflite) automatic transmission.
four-speed manual
available early on.
Interesting tidbit: Jensen had previously manufactured an early Interceptor model back in the 1950s; however, this particular version included the
four-wheel drive
, an ABS-braked FF (Ferguson Formula) variant, must be the top celebrity of car names.
これは欲しすぎる！（Photo：Rain Prisk）
