Does a car deserve a name? And if so, should it be male, or female? And, come to think of it... do people who name their cars actually take better care of them?
Those were the profound questions we contemplated this week on Car Talk -- all thanks to Robert in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, who found out, much to his dismay, that his new used truck was named "Mark"!
We argued that cars, as soulless mechanical devices, hardly merited names. And, as Ray pointed out, he'd seen many a car with a name arrive at the garage looking like, well, an unmitigated trash heap!
But, we're eager to hear from you. What do you think? Are we wrong? You can hear the call right here and share your comments, below. Thanks!
Cars are the closest thing to a living being created by man. Cars are born, breath, consume, dispose and die. By naming a vehicle you're personifying nothing but metal and with that name the car is actually given some bit of a soul. My first car was a '91 brown, wood paneling, dodge grand caravan, the family car passed down to the young ones and I remember naming it Warren Grizzly because Warren Sapp and Grizzly Bears are both big, brown and mean. Unfortunately by naming this hunk of metal I gave it a life that inevitably would come to an end, which it did. Whether it's got a name it will die one day. I think a name makes it interesting and gives us humans comfort but at the same time grief and sorrow when it's time to see it leave.
I have had 2 cars with names. "Pure Lux" was the name of my 1988 Buick Reatta, sadly got hit and was totalled. I also had a 1994 Isuzu Trooper (which we sold) which I called "C.O.A." car of Amducious (amducious was a demon is some movie). I now have a 2001 Volvo V70 2.4t which I haven't figured out it's inner name yet. My family also has a 1999 Astro Conversion van that I call lil budda. and my dad's 1997 Chevy silverado 3500 dually, crew cab, extended cab which we call the beast.
I have always named my cars because they seem to have personalities. There was "Greenie" the Willies sedan whose battery exploded one hot day on the Mojave desert due to internal and ambient heat (I had neglected to make sure there was battery fluid; was able to smoosh the pieces together and get home!), "Modine" the 1949 Plymouth who was a cream puff, etc, etc. My husband and I (he's actually worse than me) also anthropormorphosize our animals. Now that I am sans car I've taken to naming my bikes. Maude who is reliable and sturdy and "the truck" which is a Mt. bike with paniers.
What's in a name...??
Psychologists tell us that nicknames and pet names build intimacy in families.
While I am in fundamental agreement with The Guys regarding naming vehicles, can we all agree that it would always be preferred to nickname "prestigious" cars? "I say, dahling, shall we take Suzy?" is so much more palatable than "I say, dahling, shall we take the Mazerati?" Especially since "prestigious" cars tend to have complicated pronunciations ...
When my husband inherited enough money to buy the waterski boat of his dreams, it seemed only fitting to name it after his benefactor. It works to our advantage when he explains that he must take an afternoon off work to "spend some time with my dear Aunt Kathryn"...
Regarding cars, we own a 1995 Toyota Previa in a now-discontinued turquoise color. It has, not a human name, but a nickname. If you could see it, you would understand why it is known far and wide as The Big, Green Jelly Bean, or "Jelly Bean" or sometimes simply "The Bean".
I've only named one car, my first. She was a 1966 red Barracuda with a little 286 cu. in. V-8. That engine wouldn't qualify her as a muscle car, though she would, and regularly did, 90 mph. I bought her in June, so I named her Gemini, quickly shortening it to Gem. Though that's the only car given a name I always think of my cars as females. I regularly talk to them at crucial times such as avoiding accidents or rushing through traffic when late ("Stay with me, Baby").
However, I always think of my pick-ups as male. Is that sexist or what!!! What a culture.
P.S. My favorite car was a little 1986 brown Jetta. With its invisibility to cops, short turning circle and instant acceleration, we were commuting demons. Yes -- another Jetta looney!
Before history, man created spritual beings to explain the unknown. Names were given to these spirits; sacrifices were made; offerings made in hopes of rain, children for labor,etc. Non-engineers are people who see cars as possessing spirits hence they give them names, make sacrifices and offerings in hopes that these necessary to life things keep functioning for them. You as an engineer do not accept the unknown as an explanation. You have an answer for car problems....that's why we listen to your show. You do not name your vehicles. Mark is a fine name for a Ford 250...he's big and strong and can carry heavy things...kind of like a big Swede. We just acquired a pretty little blue Sonata and promptly named her Moonlight...Moonlight Sonata. The name fits, I will take care of her, sacrifice whatever is necessary to keep her running. Gender depends on the character of the vehicle. We used to name horses that pulled wagons. Why can't we (non-engineers) name our vehicles? Names help us non-engineers understand and care for our vehicles in our own way.
Well, that was necessary, because the horse could learn its name and realize we were talking to it. Men have always named their boats and ships and flying machines because their very lives depended on having the machines' spirits smile upon their passengers and protect them from the perils of the sea and of altitude. If a car breaks down and dies, you just coast to the shoulder and walk away from the thing. Maybe you can be like the soldier in the old (Bill Maudlin?) cartoon and shoot your broken down Jeep like it was an injured horse, but in most cases we just don't get so attached to land transportation unless we spend all day in it and it is the focus of our employment (e.g., train driver and his locomotive, long-distance truck driver and his rig).
For the most part, naming a car or truck is probably a harmless foible. It might even help by having us treat (drive) it more gently and be more conscientious about proper maintenance. On the other hand, it might hurt by making us hesitate to swerve into a roadside pole to avoid a small child running into the street. Less seriously, it might cause us to hang on to a junker long after a sensible look at the economics dictates that we send it to the crusher.
We have had 19 cars over the 45 years of our marriage and have named every car except for one - a Chevie hatchback - first year of their front wheel drive - can't remember the model name - which was known only as "The Malevolent Blue Slug." Didn't keep that one long, a real lemon.
Two reasons for naming: 1) cars have personalities and genders and 2) we have often had 3 Toyotas at a time and it was much easier to say one name than to have to say "The 1994 Corolla" each time you referred to the car.
Of course you should name your car! Anything that is likely to make you drive more carefully is a good thing. If your car has a name and personality and is part of your family, perhaps you won't cut that person off next time you're about to miss your exit, or do 50 in that 35 zone and risk damaging your poor child, um, car by hitting some inconsiderate pedestrian.
You guys (Tom and Ray) have arbitrarily decreed that cars have no souls.
I love your show, but y'all (I'm from KY) are not the arbiters of spiritual truth. Who is to say that cars have no souls?! Ever heard the story of the Velvetine Rabbit?
Maybe we should all start giving our cars names "just in case" they find us again in hell.
I have never before named a car until I decided to buy a new mini cooper. The dealer told me I could give the car a name so that the car could get notifications of service, etc.
I named the mini -- Gary (as in Gary Cooper). Gary helps me ease out of awkward social situations -- couples events where I'm treated oddly because I'm single; social events where everyone is talking about their significant others; really boring 'fix-ups' ---by being able to say -- "Gary is waiting for me, I've got to leave"; or, "Gary and I have plans for the weeknd", or, "Gary is taking me to the movies on Sunday".
My first car was a 1981 repo Pontiac Grand Le Mans. By the time it came to me in 1986 it had serious mechanical issues so I named her B*tch. My second car didn't have a name but a friend named my third car Freda and I've christened my 2006 Nissan Sentra "Bernice" because she's practical and reliable and that's what "Bernice" says to me. You don't expect a lot of thrills from someone named Bernice but you figure she's pretty stable!
Why not have a contest to name your soulless cars; Tom and Ray? Put up a picture of them (all of them) and give the cartalk community the opportunity to name them as we doubt you have!!!
We all know you well enough over the years of listening to come up with some suitable names!!!
and you two can pick the best one that suits the car
I do, but I'm somewhat of an animist, so. My first car was an Dodge Colt that I called Reinhold, after a TV character. My second car was Molly, since it was a red Mazda 323 bought from a company called Brown Motors, since the Unsinkable Molly Brown always wanted a red dress. My current car, a Subaru Forester, is called the Hulk, because it's big (or at least bigger than my other cars have been) and green.
I've also named my bicycles (most notable a cruiser one-speed called Mouse) and my motorscooters (a Suzuki called George, a Honda called Babycakes, and my current Yamaha called Hugh).
One of the questions asked Saturday was "Did you ever name your car?" While I didn't name my car, my friends did. My high school wheels during my senior year in the 60s was a 1954 Volkswagen. In addition to the quaint "trafficators" (lighted stalks which appeared out of the roof supports when the turn signal wand was activated), the accelerator foot-feed consisted of a wheel on pivoting lever.
One of my friends stated "That looks like a yo-yo on a stick!" The name "Yo-Yo" stuck as long as I had the car. I agree with one of the brother's comments that a named automobile probably receives a little more TLC during its owenership than a non-named vehicle.
Imagine Columbus arriving in the new world sailing on ships designated 1, 2, and 3; or A, B, and C. Or, "Houston, the Lunar Excursion Module has landed."
You absolutly should name your car. It's part of the family. How would you like to go around with no name? Also, if you give your car, which is actually like a working pet, a name it will treat you much better. You should also pat your dashboard when you get in and tell your car how good it is. It makes them feel good and they will respond in kind. Also keep your car-pet clean, washed and swept and it will respond by giving you a good ride for a long time. My car is Big Blue, my 3 wheeled recumbent bike is Little Blue and they are best friends.
My parents name their cars but to be politically correctly (apparently they are WAAAAY ahead of their time) they christen their vehicles with both a female and male name. I can't remember all of them but I do remember "Alice Richard" and "Angela Michael."
Yes! Every car needs a name, just like people. How would you like to be called homosapien (sp?), make: Italian, model: male, year: 19??, color: brown, hair: black...etc.
We have a white 2004 Honda pilot named: Snowy
and a silver 2007 Honda CR-V named: Zippy
and a red 1998 Dodge V-10 Truck name: Big Red
Thanks for the terrific Question,
DeAnna of Boise, Idaho
09/01/2007 11:16:59 AM
