Take this quiz to find out how these vehicles and parts got their names.
What’s a name worth? Would a roadster operate so sweetly under any other name?
One of the pillars of marketing is giving businesses and products names. Customers frequently come into contact with a brand’s name first. A name must be distinctive, genuine, durable, and unforgettable.
Although automotive firms are renowned for being deliberate in the names they give to various cars and parts, other name origins were more accidental.
Do you know how these components’ names came to be?
…
Find out by taking the automotive etymology quiz below!
1. Rocker Panels are so-called because… A. They resemble a rocking cradle for children.
B. They gained popularity among aficionados of recreational off-roading (rocking).
C. They keep the car from shaking and stabilize it.
2. Toyota frequently names their automobiles after…
Japanese Rivers, first
B. Flowers and Birds
C. Royalty and Gods
3. Where did the Mustang Shelby GT350’s number come from?
Address from A. Carroll Shelby’s youth.
B. The distance in steps between Carroll Shelby’s office to a nearby structure.
C. A worker’s unsuccessful lottery picks.
4. What language lends its name to the Swedish automaker Volvo?
Latin A
Swedish, B.
Romanian C
5. What was the original name of the Shaker Hood?
The Convulsing Air Scooper, for example
B. The Amazing Exposed Quivering Cold Air Grabber
The swaying air snatcher (C)
6. It’s possible to connect the origin of Lamborghini model names to…
Bullfighting, first
B. Racing drivers from Italy
Greek mythology, c.
7. Jeep’s name was changed from Willy’s MB to Jeep after…
A. The vehicles’ initial horns produced a characteristic “jeep jeep” sound.
The original car designer, B. Karl Probst, named his pet dog “Jeep” after Eugene the Jeep from the well-known Popeye comic strip.
C. The term “General Purpose Vehicle” (GP) was frequently used to describe it.
8. How and when was Jerrycan named?
The American Civil War, first
B. WWII
The Korean War, c
9. According to legend, the Mitsubishi Starion got its name from what?
A. A confusing phone call
B. A Star Trek personality
C. A pop icon from Japan
10. After which well-known racer did McLaren name its new sports car in 2018?
James Hunt, A.
Alain Prost, B.
Senna, C. Ayrton
11. Who came up with the phrase “automobile”?
A. An engineer from Italy
The New York Times, b.
Dictionary C. Webster
12. What was the source of Enzo Ferrari’s inspiration for the Ferrari Dino?
A. Stolen Porsche design documents
B. His child
Contest for design submission, C.
Do you believe you have them all? Verify your responses below!
1. Rocker panels are so-called because of… A. They resemble a rocking cradles for children.
2. Toyota frequently names their automobiles after…
C. Royalty and Gods
Here are only a few instances of Toyota vehicles with royal and divine names:
The name Camry is derived from the Japanese word “kanmuri,” which means “crown” in English.
The top of the flower petal is called the corolla.
The Greek goddess “Charis” is where the name “Yaris” originates, and Avalon is the fabled island where the famed Excalibur sword of King Arthur was made.
What is now Mt. Rainier was formerly known as Tacoma. According to an analysis of the original language, the name means “mother of waters” and “the mountain that was a god.”
3. Where did the Mustang Shelby GT350’s number come from?
B. The distance in steps between Carroll Shelby’s office and a nearby structure.
4. What language lends its name to the Swedish automaker Volvo?
Latin A
The Latin meaning “I roll” is appropriate for a business that began as a manufacturer of ball bearings and intended to have its brand on anything that moved, such as bicycles and cars.
5. What was the original name of the Shaker Hood?
B. The Amazing Exposed Quivering Cold Air Grabber
It makes sense that the moniker was subsequently altered to “shaker hood,” given how ungainly it sounded and how it would tremble when the engine was cranked up.
6. It’s possible to connect the origin of Lamborghini model names to…
Bullfighting, first
The Lamborghini Diablo, which was produced between 1990 and 2001, is one of the most noteworthy instances of Lamborghini naming its cars after fighting bulls. It was inspired by a bull that the Duke of Veragua had nurtured in the 19th century. An intense conflict between Diablo and renowned bullfighter “El Chicorro” on July 11, 1869, in Madrid, Spain, led to Diablo’s notoriety.
7. Jeep’s name was changed from Willy’s MB to Jeep after…
C. The term “General Purpose Vehicle” (GP) was frequently used to describe it.
8. How and when was Jerrycan named?
B. WWII
This colloquial phrase for a gas can dates back to the Second World War when American soldiers began using fluid canisters made in Germany to transport gas and water. After a few unsuccessful attempts at our own designs, which were considered inferior to the German version, America reverse-engineered the German version and dispatched hundreds of people abroad to help in the war. As a slang term for a German, “Jerry,” the soldiers knew that this design had German roots, so it was only right to give the canister that moniker.
9. According to legend, the Mitsubishi Starion got its name from what?
A. A confusing phone call
Although this has never been verified, rumor has it that Mitsubishi originally intended to call their new sports coupe the “Stallion” to match its Colt. The car was purportedly given the Starion moniker as a result of a poor-quality phone call made in the 1980s between Japanese and American marketers.
There are several explanations for the car’s name, one of which is that it was inspired by the Star of Orion. We might never be certain.
10. After which well-known racer did McLaren name its new sports car in 2018?
Senna, C. Ayrton
With a 0-60 mph pace of 2.8 seconds, the McLaren Senna is one of the fastest vehicles you can buy right now. It was appropriate given that name in honor of one of the fastest drivers in history. From 1988 to 1993, Ayrton Senna competed for the McLaren Formula One Team, winning 35 races and three Driver’s Championships. After having his career ended in a catastrophic crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Senna has become a sporting legend.
11. Who came up with the phrase “automobile”?
A. An engineer from Italy
Despite the fact that the New York Times popularized the term in 1897, an Italian painter and engineer by the name of Martini used the word “automobile” for the first time. The word was made by fusing the Latin word “mobils,” which means moving, with the Greek word “auto,” which means oneself. Martini gave the name to drawings for a four-wheeled human-powered vehicle even though he never actually built one. An excerpt from Francesco di Giorgio Martini’s 1470 notebook is shown.
12. What was the source of Enzo Ferrari’s inspiration for the Ferrari Dino?
A. Stolen Porsche design documents
B. His child
Contest for design submission, C.
Alfredo, Enzo’s son, was the one who first had the concept for the Ferrari Dino. The goal was to compete with the enormously popular Porsche 911, so the car was the first Ferrari model to be made in large quantities and at a cheaper price than usual. Alfredo (often known as Dino for short) had muscular dystrophy and proposed the idea for the car to Ferrari’s chief engineer while on his deathbed. Dino was honored by having the car named after him.
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