9 Unique And Funny Car Names

What’s in a name?  That’s a question that can be inserted for many topics.

A person, place or thing.  What makes it sing?

Awful rhyming attempt aside, there are a number of brands out there that have crafty names.  They’re witty.  They put on a smile on your face.  And most of all, it’s a moniker that sticks in most people’s memory soon after they come across it.

The same could be said with a car name.  Whether that plays a role in the buyer’s decision with one car over another is up for debate, but this piece is more about unearthing some of the best car names to grace car lots and magazines.

Here’s my  list of the best car names currently on the road today or long ago.

1. Toyota Deliboy – More of a commercial vehicle in the Toyota line, the Deliboy has a unique name along with a unique design.  The front end has a peculiar dip to it, with some people saying it looks like a platypus.  That’s a stretch, but this isn’t about dissecting the shapes of the car.  It’s about celebrating the names, and the Deliboy should put a smile across your face.  Sadly, this vehicle isn’t in production anymore and really never made it’s way to U.S. shores, but the Deliboy holds its place on this list for having such a rare moniker.

Source: MotorTown.com

2. Bugatti Veyron – The Bugatti name alone sounds pretty slick, but when you add the name of a famous Le Mans driver back in the early 1930’s (Pierre Veyron), it puts another level of coolness to the nameplate.  Then again, if you have $1,700,000 to plop down on a car like this, you’d expect a slick-sounding name to go along with the keys and license plate.

3. Ferrari Testarossa – This name’s almost synonymous with the Ferrari brand alone.  How many times have you heard someone say Testarossa and not immediately think “Ferrari”?  This particular model had a nice run (1984-1996) and can probably be found in many collectors’ garages around the globe.  Just hope that there aren’t any Testarossa’s driving around town in any other color except “red”, because that would be a smear to it’s original color.

Source: looksfeelsworks.com

4. Shelby Cobra – Another memorable antique is the Shelby Cobra.  The body style and performance alone was a selling point for drivers back in the early to mid-1960’s.  Yet when you tag Cobra to a sports car such as the well-known Shelby, it bumps the name recognition up a notch. This particular roadster still commands a high price, with some online classifieds posting around $42,000 or more for one.

5. Peugeot Bipper Tepee – While I don’t think this car quite made it over to the U.S., it should still be recognized on this list for having one of the weirdest, most chuckle-worthy names.  I don’t even know where to begin with the “Bipper Tepee” name, except to say it sounds like it was a “deadline” name that was thrown together in haste.   It’s a hit over in the U.K. and if I could compare the body style to another car, I’d say it looks like the Honda Pilot.  Not quite the “toaster” look of some of the KIA models and other box-y cars, but pretty darn close.

6. Maserati Ghibli – Just say the name and listen to how it rolls off the tongue.  Another classic car name – this one’s back in the late 1960’s – that just oozes cool.

7. Alfa Romero Spider Duetto – Yet another classic car on this list, but man, it sure wins a place simply for how many words are strung together.  But even with the superfluous amount of words for a car, it has a clean, subtle sound above all else.  Surely, some collector has one of these hidden away in their garage.  Jay Leno, anyone??

8. Toyota 2000GT – A classic sports car with good fuel economy to match?  Especially for a lat 1960’s car?  And the name sounds like it should be in position to race an F1 match?   The 2000GT name was made even more famous by being included alongside James Bond.  While this may not make most sports car enthusiasts forget about the F1 McClaren or the Lamborghini as the breadwinner of high-speed driving, it’s a slick addition nonetheless.

9.  Maserati Kubang – The soon-to-be-released SUV model in Maserati’s lineup certainly has a curious name.  The first thing that comes to mind with Kubang is that someone was probably watching the super ancient Batman movie that added the special effects of “Bam”, “Pow” and other taglines across the screen during the fight scenes. Probably not the case, but it’s an odd choice for such a familiar exotic car line.

There are hundreds of car names and labels out there.  Some of the most popular ones such as Mustang, Corvette, Camry, Accord and others are too familiar to the common driver to put on this list.  I’m sure I could find a few other odd and slick car names to put on this list, but for now, this will do just fine.  If anything, leave it to the classic cars of years past to have some of the coolest (and peculiar) names around.

Author Bio:  Freelance writer who regularly contributes articles covering the automotive industry, from collision repair tips to auto maintenance guides to random car news, and has consulted for Jay Wolfe Toyota, a local new and certified preowned Toyota dealer in his hometown.