7 strange car names
Developing a new car is a complex, high-stakes endeavour. Manufacturers aim for success by bringing together experts in engineering, design, finance and logistics.
Then, the carmaker tries to devise appealing names to help boost sales. This is where things can go awry. We’ve found seven car names that may belong in the ‘what were they thinking’ category.
1. Nissan Friend-Me
The futuristic Friend-Me concept car – with a name inspired by social media – debuted at Auto Shanghai in 2013. It was designed to appeal to the 240 million Chinese men born in the 1980s – how’s that for a specific target market? Nissan based the Friend-Me on its Pulsar architecture and built it with four sporty seats where all passengers could share the same space and read the same interior dials as each other.
2. AMC Gremlin
Not only is ‘Gremlin’ an odd name for a car, this vehicle (the green car in the main picture above) also featured in Time magazine’s list of the 50 worst cars of all time. First manufactured by American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1970, the Gremlin was a sub-compact car designed to compete with models from Ford and General Motors. AMC lacked the financial clout of its competitors, so AMC had to modify one of its other models – the Hornet. The Gremlin had a long snout and short tail; it was heavy, handled poorly and was horrible to drive.
3. Daihatsu Naked
Although this Kei car – the smallest category of Japanese road-legal motor vehicles – had a strange name, the 658cc petrol Naked was oddly appealing and practical. Built between 1999 and 2004, the Naked had Jeep-like styling, an optional four-wheel-drive system and a rugged look with exposed bolts and hinges. Inside, its plastic mouldings were a nod to the cloth dashboard of the original Fiat Panda.
4. Suzuki Mighty Boy
Another of the Japanese Kei-class, the Mighty Boy was a two-seater, two-door coupe utility, built between 1983 and 1988. Its 543cc engine wasn’t exactly mighty, but this Suzuki was classified as a commercial vehicle in Australia and Japan, so owners enjoyed a lower tax rate. When it hit our shores in 1985, the manual version cost $5795 – the cheapest available car in Australia at the time.
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5. Honda That’s
Yet another Kei car, the That’s is enough to send your grammar checker crazy while you’re typing its name. This tiny, but tall car had a three-cylinder, 656cc engine (naturally aspirated or turbocharged) and was manufactured for the Japanese market between 2002 and 2007. As the story goes, Honda hoped the name would become so appealing that onlookers would shout ‘That’s it!’ when one went by.
6. Mitsubishi Minica Lettuce
There’s probably a reason most cars aren’t named after vegetables, but maybe the Mitsubishi marketing executives didn’t get that memo. Part of the longest-running Mitsubishi models (since 1962), the Minica Lettuce was introduced in the sixth generation of this tiny car. The Minica was frugal and easy to run, but with only about 34kW coming from its engine, driving this small car was like eating warm lettuce.
7. Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard
No, it’s not the name of a long-lost Beatles album or Harry Potter novel. Rather, it’s Isuzu’s name for an SUV it built in partnership with General Motors. No mystery that GM Holden rebadged its version as the Frontera when the first model arrived in Australia in 1995. The second version of the Frontera started its Aussie life in 1999 and came in three-door and five-door bodies, the latter of which had a V6 engine and optional automatic transmission. Holden discontinued the last of the Fronteras in 2003.
Need some car advice?
They can’t explain the name, but they’ll tell you if it’s a lemon.