General MG Do you name your cars? Why?

[PAUL161]

I could not count how many vehicles I've had over my lifetime. I've restored a bunch of them. One thing I've never done is name a one of them. I'm not trying to discredit anyone for naming their cars, it's just I'm curious as to why you did and how did you choose the name? To me a vehicle is just a bunch of metal, rubber, plastic, wood, electrical and many other man made bits and pieces, that will eventually turn to junk and wind up in the junk yard or melting pot, not something I'd compare to a friend or member of the family.

Curious, PJ

 

[Jerry]

I never named my cars till I had to buy a new frame for my Healey. Then Martin delivered the new frame and named it Lola (the other women). Since then , the cars have been named.
TR3A- Name is Kitty- It came with a dead cat skeleton in the footwell.
68 Mini- My daughter named it Minnie. Not very original but it works.

I did not name my truck.

Jerry

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Sorry, can't resist.

 

[PAUL161]

:highly_amused: That's funny Mickey!

 

[drooartz]

I have very rarely named cars, just those that seemed to call out for a name. Not something I force, some cars just have a name. I spend lots of time with them, get angry at them, laugh with them, cry and bleed on them, so sometimes a name is appropriate.

Three of my vehicles (out of my 24 so far) have had names of note:

2003 Hyundai Accent - "Muw" (pronounced moo) - this was on the license plate, the car named itself
1959 Bugeye - "Tunebug" - I paid for this car entirely by playing music, so it seemed appropriate. The first car I consciously named
1959 Bugeye - "Penny" - my current RHD Bugeye, named after the town of Penryn, Cornwall where she was first sold.

Interesting that both Bugeyes have had names, and neither MGB has.

(you can see the entire list here: Drew's list of cars -- it's been an interesting 20 years of cars)

 

[PAUL161]

Nice story Drew about your cars. PJ

 

[NutmegCT]

Name my cars? Heavens no!

 

[PAUL161]

Heavens No! Tom, that's a great name! :highly_amused:

 

[DrEntropy]

:lol:

"Never trust a person who gives pet names to motorcars." --A female character in a Dr. Who episode in the Tom Baker years.

My violations:

1966 MGB (First car): "Megan" --Named so by First Wife.
198? K-car: "The Insipid" -- Mitsy dubbed that one.
1985 MB 300 Turbo Diesel: "Diesela" --again, Mitsy.

The Lotus Cortina sometimes was referred to as Tina but not often. The others were: "the ~fill in the make/model~." Not out of any real aversion to naming them, they just never exhibited traits which suggested any particular moniker... <shrug>

 

[Guest]

1959 Bugeye - "Tunebug" - I paid for this car entirely by playing music, so it seemed appropriate. The first car I consciously named
]

Stupid me thought you named it that 'cause you were always working on it.

 

[drooartz]

Stupid me thought you named it that 'cause you were always working on it.

It was a number of years of work, but the name was all based on my funding source. Lots and lots of gigs.

 

[Flash_Harry]

'61 TD21 - called "Homer" - original UK reg = #### DU (close enough to "D'OH!"
'74 MGB gt - called "Ducky" - color is Green Mallard
'08 MINI Clubman - called "Saffron" - color is 'Mellow Yellow' (the car said: "They call me Mellow Yellow" but we were wild about Saffron...)

 

[PAUL161]

Well I've just come to the conclusion that if I named my TF, a proper name would be "Two Step"! It's been two steps forward and one step back since I started on this car. Just realized I now have to pull the floor boards out again, to get the side panels in place, the floorboards are a tad too wide, as the panels go on the outside edge of them. I have to shave about 1/8th inch off the outside edges! There's the one step back! I think I'm going to get and I don't drink! So one beer should do it!

 

[LarryK]

We keep them so long it is easier to name and say we are taking Wrench instead of Stella or Charlie. We have had Baby for 39 yrs. Wife usually does the naming. Most work trucks were just called the Beast until I came in dirty from working on it and then it was The Filthy Beast, all taken from movies. Since we have an 03 MINI S names are from Italian Job. The old girl from the movie with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Brain gas pass prevents name of movie.

 

[JPSmit]

Wife usually does the naming.

same here

I had a 62 Meteor called Bertha (I named)
but, SWMBO named Midget - Ms Triss
daughter named Vauxhall - Vivian and previous Intrepid - The Black Pearl.
and I named the Multipla - Luigi

 

[glemon]

You know I neve really have, sometimes tried little pet names, but they never really stuck, I do like my cars but they have always just been "the MG" "the Triumph" "the Sprite" etc.

 

[Marvin Gruber]

As close as i ever come to naming one is, the blue one or the white one,etc.

Marv