Car names can be hard to remember, especially since the logic behind them is not always obvious except to those in the know. Some cars get their names based on functions, while others are named after designers or makers. Certain cars get their names from a key feature or element of their appearance. Yet others are named after animals.
In most cases, the name given to a car is strongly influenced by the market that the automaker wants to sell it in. Since there are vehicles named after animals, does this mean they are intended for sale to animals or in the wild?
That is not the case. Instead, marketing teams tend to look for words that show off the personality and characteristics of the car in question. This makes sense when you think about vehicles like the Charger, Thunderbird, or Impala. All of those evoke qualities you want from a sporty vehicle, such as sleekness, being dynamic, and power.
The marketing team usually determines that the name of a certain animal will help evoke the right emotions or properly convey the personality of the vehicle. The team also has to think about alternative meanings of the name they choose, trademarks, and other factors.
Choosing to name a vehicle after an animal that is powerful will evoke feelings of speed and performance. At the same time, it will intrigue the buyers and reduce the risk of language barriers requiring different names in different markets.
Take a look at some of the most popular vehicles named after animals and see if you can identify them.
1. What animal does this auto bear the name of?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Not the original Wildcat, this 1962 automobile stole its name from a concept car produced in 1953. The Buick Wildcat was manufactured by General Motors from 1963 to 1970.
2. What is the name of this car?
Right answer
Wrong answer
First produced in the US in 1992 and making its comeback in 2012, the Dodge Viper is a super sports car originally designed by Lamborghini.
3. What about this car?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Thanks to a constant change in style and improvements in technology, the Skylark was produced in six different models from 1953 to 1998.
4. What animal shares a name with this sports car?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Designed by Michael Mauer, this two-seater sports car was sold out after its introduction in September 2013. However, three recalls were issued during its two-year production.
5. What is the name of this animal-related vehicle?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Once considered "the personal luxury car," the Ford Thunderbird was manufactured in 11 generations from 1955 to 2005.
6. What is the name of this car?
Right answer
Wrong answer
The Hudson Wasp was a full-sized car offered in various styles from a 2-door sedan to a 4-door convertible. It was manufactured by the Hudson Motor Car Company from 1952 and then by American Motors Corporation in 1955 to 1956.
7. What animal is this car named for?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Designed by Giovanni Michelotti as a luxury sports car meant to rival the Mercedes Benz SL, the Triumph Stag produced a year later in 1970, encountered several problems with its design and engineering.
8. What is the name of this auto?
Right answer
Wrong answer
So-named because of its B-body, the Dodge Superbee was a low-priced, muscle car first produced in 1968 by the Chrysler Corporation.
9. What animal shares a name with this auto?
Right answer
Wrong answer
The most impressive production of the post-war Kissel Kar company, the White Eagle, manufactured in 1927, was the sportiest and most powerful automobile produced by the company. Today, only one White Eagle remains in existence.
10. What do you call this auto?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Also referred to as the Vette or Chevy Corvette, the Stingray is a sports car produced by Chevrolet in Michigan, Kentucky and Missouri from 1953. There have since been seven generations of the automobile.
11. What animal does this car bear the name of?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Chevrolet's most-expensive and best-selling automobile in 1965, the Impala is a full-sized car introduced in 1958 and featured its signature triple taillights.
12. What is the name of this sports car?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Jaguar Land Rover, a British car company, is the manufacturer of the luxury Jaguar cars introduced in 1935.
13. What animal name does this car have?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Succeeding the absorption of the Singer company by the Rootes company in 1956, the first Singer manufactured was the Gazelle offered as a saloon, convertible or estate car.
14. What is the animal name of this auto?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Perhaps one of the most popular cars from the 1960s, the Ford Mustang, introduced in 1964, formed part of the pony and muscle class cars in America and is currently in its sixth generation today.
15. What animal shares a name with this auto?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Produced only for a short period between 1959 and 1966, the Lark was a compact car manufactured in the U.S. and Canada in several variants.
16. What is the name of this auto?
Right answer
Wrong answer
This automobile was an affordable, special edition of the Datsun B210 targeted at young first-time drivers. The car was painted yellow, and buyers had the option of getting a signature stripe or Bee decal.
17. What animal is this car named after?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Sold as a personal luxury car, the AMC Marlin or Rambler Marlin was the flagship of the AMC brand and was produced from 1965 to 1967.
18. What about this car?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Designed by Robert Eidschun, the Ford Pinto also called the Mercury Bobcat, was manufactured in 1971 until 1980 and was offered as a sedan, hatchback and station wagon.
19. What is the name of this car?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Introduced in 1968, the Plymouth Road Runner was marketed as the more affordable muscle car as the price of its competitors skyrocketed.
20. What would you call this vehicle?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Officially named the Volkswagen Golf but sold under the name Volkswagen Rabbit in the US and Canada, this hatchback-styled automobile has been manufactured since 1974 and is currently in its seventh generation.
21. What animal did the automaker name this vehicle after?
Right answer
Wrong answer
First introduced in 1980, the Dodge Ram was a series of pickup trucks manufactured by the Dodge company in the US. The first set of trucks featured the ram hood ornament seen on earlier Dodge vehicles.
22. What is the animal name for this vehicle?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Replacing the Mercury Marquis in 1986, the Sable was manufactured by the Ford company under the Mercury brand in two productions sets; 1986- 2005 and 2008-2009.
23. What animal bears the same name as this car?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Designed based on the Plymouth Variant, the Barracuda was a two-door car manufactured in three models between 1964 and 1974.
24. What animal shares a name with this auto?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Officially referred to as the Audi 80 by its German manufacturer, the Audi Fox, introduced in 1966, shared the same platform with the Volkswagen Passat.
25. What animal was this iconic vehicle named after?
Right answer
Wrong answer
More popularly known as the bug, the Volkswagen Beetle was a two-door economy car manufactured between 1983 and 2003.
26. What is the animal-related name of this vehicle?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Sold in several variants of sedans, coupes, convertibles, and hatchbacks, the Mercury Cougar was designed based on the Ford Mustang.
27. What animal inspired the name of this vehicle?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Introduced in 1977, the Chevy Bison was a class-8, heavy-duty truck assembled by General Motors. Production of the Bison was discontinued when Chevrolet backed out of the truck market in 1981.
28. What do you call this vehicle?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Running on the Ford V8 engine, the Shelby Cobra or AC Cobra was a sports car manufactured both in the UK and US.
29. What animal led to the name of this vehicle?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Stutz Blackhawk was an American luxury car introduced originally in 1929 and again in 1971 after the revival of the Stutz Motor Company in 1968.
30. What animal is this vehicle named after?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Built entirely from material in the US, the Cheetah was a sports car officially named the Bill Thomas Cheetah, after Chevrolet's performance tuner.
31. Which animal does this vehicle embody?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Considered as Nissan's most popular sedan, the Bluebird is one the company's oldest cars, manufactured since 1957.
32. What animal name does this vehicle bear?
Right answer
Wrong answer
First introduced as a show car in 1964, the Charger has since been manufactured and sold as a hatchback, sedan, and coupe.
33. Which animal is this car named after?
Right answer
Wrong answer
With a possible comeback in 2020, the Ford Bronco was manufactured between 1966 and 1996 as a multipurpose vehicle.
34. What animal shares a name with this auto?
Right answer
Wrong answer
The Mercury Bobcat was a rebadged model of the Ford Pinto sold from 1975 to 1980. It was sold as a sedan, hatchback and station wagon.
35. What is this auto named after?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Sold between 1951 and 1957, first by the Hudson Motor Car Company and then by the American Motors Corporation (AMC), the Hudson Hornet's ponton bodywork and smooth handling made it a competitor with luxury brands like Cadillac.
36. Where does this vehicle’s name come from?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Manufactured in Ford's European branch in Germany, the Puma was a sports car produced from 1997 to 2002.
37. What animal bears the name of this auto?
Right answer
Wrong answer
The Ford SVT Raptor was introduced and marketed successfully in 2009. This light-duty pickup truck is a member of the 12th generation of Ford's F-series.
38. What is the name of this auto?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Replaced by the Pontiac Sunfire in 1995, the Sunbird was sold as a a compact and sub-compact car during its reign.
39. Which animal shares a name with this car?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Marketed as the faster coupe version of the Boxster, the Cayman is a sports car that has been manufactured in Germany since 1996.
40. What animal is this auto named after?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Recently introduced in December 2017, the Urus was named after the ancestor of modern domestic cattle and will be marketed from 2018.
41. What animal inspired the name of this auto?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Built in Leipzig, Germany and competing with other luxury vehicles such as Mercedes Benz, BMW, and Audi, the Macan is sold as a five-door luxury crossover.
42. What do you call this auto?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Considered a milestone for Ford as well as the American car industry, the Ford Taurus is now in its sixth generation after being in production for more than 20 years.
43. What animal does this auto share a name with?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Sharing the same base as the Volkswagen Golf and receiving a five-star safety rating, the Tiguan was introduced as a concept vehicle in 2006.
44. What animal is this capable auto named after?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Manufactured by Daimler Chrysler since 2007, the Jeep Trailhawk offers buyers a merge of off-road and on-road capabilities.
45. What animal is this vehicle named after?
Right answer
Wrong answer
The Hellcat is the 2015 model of the third generation of Dodge Challengers; a pony car introduced as a competitor to Ford's Mustang and Chevrolet's Camaro.
46. What about this vehicle?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Partially designed by Carroll Shelby, the Sunbeam Tiger was produced in two versions; the Mark I (1964-1967) and Mark II (1967).
47. What is the name of this auto?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Designed as a reverse tricycle by Steve Harper in 1991, the Scorpion is ideally a recreational car sold by Grinnall Specialist Cars.
48. What animal shares a name with this car?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Produced in England by the Reliant Motor Company, the Robin was a popular three-wheeled car made of fiberglass.
49. What animal does this vehicle bear the name of?
Right answer
Wrong answer
Another competitor of the Ford Mustang, the Firebird was a pony car introduced in 1967 and manufactured until 2002.
Congratulations! You have finished the Quizz!
You scored out of 49 points!