We asked Jalopnik readers to pick the car with the most nicknames. What we got was a tour of global car culture, so take a look at the world's ten most nicknamed cars.
Welcome back to Answers of the Day — our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Photo Credit:Juan Ignacio Iglesias
10.) The Subaru Impreza
Suggested By:SilverBulletBoxer
Nicknames:scoob, subie, scooby, rex, zetza, scooboxer, bug eye, blob eye, hawk eye, slow turd incoming
Why it's so nicknamed: The Scoobie Impreza came in tenth in our survey of nicknames, with a total of ten provided by Jalopnik readers. With their many generations ready to be identified on internet forums and their young, enthusiast following, Imprezas picked up a lot of extra names, though Subaru itself seems dead set on adding names of its own, perhaps most egregiously with its special edition "Subaru Impreza WRX STi Type RA Spec C."
Photo Credit:learydotmark
9.) Ford Mustang
Suggested By:JackTrade
Nicknames:stang, pony, rustang, terminator, yardstick, 5.0, foxbody, stanger banger, SN-95,2v, 3v
Why it's so nicknamed: Jalopnik readers were only able to provide ten nicknames for the Ford Mustang, equaling that of the Impreza, as well as the Volvo 240, but we believe that there are many more nicknames from the great rivalry years between FoMoCo and GM in the ‘60s that our readers just couldn't remember. Too many burnouts and not enough memorization, Mustang fans!
Photo Credit:david.moffitt
8.) Full-Size Chevrolets
Suggested By: Muscles Marinara-3 percenter for life!
Nicknames:Heavy chevy, donk, pimpala, float boat, battle cruiser, land yacht, waterbed, yank tank, gramps, gas guzzler, box, bubble
Why it's so nicknamed: Every full-sized Chevy has had its own nickname from 1971 to 1996, and their size alone has garnered them at least nine more nicknames. Donks ('71-'76), Boxes ('77-'90), and Bubbles ('91-'96) had all kinds of nicknames along the way, from heavy chevy to gas guzzler. What, you don't think they made up the term for Hummers, did you? Pictured is a Caprice Classic, a box chev, a heavy chevy, in a photo taken in New York in the early 1990s.
Photo Credit:Flows_2000
7.) The Trabant
Suggested By:Buck_Turgidson
Nicknames:Trabi, Rennpappe (Racing Cardboard), Duroplast-Bomber, Sachsenporsche (Saxon Porsche), Fluchtkoffer (Escape Suitcase), Plastikbomber, Mercedes-Krenz (named after Egon Krenz, last General Secretary of the SED), Überdachte Zündkerze (Roofed Sparkplug), Regenschirm mit Rädern (Umbrella with Wheels), Walker, Zweitaktzwerg (Two-stroke dwarf)
Why it's so nicknamed: East Germany's Trabant was not a perfect vehicle. It had its faults. These faults turned into nicknames, because in the German Democratic Republic, your automotive options were limited to say the least. Jalopnik readers came up with 12, and they bear repeating for a taste of that famous German humor. Pictured is what looks like the brunt of another Trabi joke, with one perched high and providing a place for storks to nest out in a field in the former East.
Photo Credit:nir Nussbaum
6.) VW T1
Suggested By:Yannjules
Nicknames:microbus, minibus, split-window, splittie, bully, kombi, bus, samba, samba bus, refridgerator, toaster, hippie van, mystery machine, crumple zone
Why it's so nicknamed:VWs are not only everywhere, but people around the world kind of go crazy for them, so you're bound to get tons of nicknames. Jalopnik readers came up with fourteen, split evenly between thesamba.com-style nicknames and hippy-era affectations. Here's a splittie still in its wild years down in Brazil.
Photo Credit:Alexandre Jorge
5.) Fiat 126
Suggested By:That Guy
Nicknames:According to Jalopnik readers and Wikipedia: "In Poland: Maluch, which literally means "small one" or toddler, as well as mały Fiat ("small Fiat"), in contrast to Fiat 125p, called duży Fiat ("big Fiat"). In some regions, it is also called Kaszlak litteraly "cougher" (derived from kaszel meaning "cough"). In Albania: Kikirez. In Serbo-Croatian: Peglica (meaning "little iron"). In Slovene: Bolha ("flea"), Piči-poki (loosely translated as "fast-and-loud") or Kalimero on the Slovenian coast after a cartoon character Calimero. In Hungarian: kispolszki ("little Polish", while the 125p is the nagypolszki, meaning "big Polish"), kispolák ("little Pole") or törpe-polyák ("dwarf Pole"); also, the car was nicknamed gérkamion, meaning "a mouse's truck". In Germany: Bambino, the Italian word for child. In Cuba: "Polaquito" and in Chile as "Bototo."
Why it's so nicknamed:With some help from Wikipedia, Jalopnik readers were able to come up with fourteen nicknames for the car, from Albania to Cuba and back to the Slovenian coast. A personal favorite was Poland's Kaszlak, meaning "cougher", imitating the wonderful and harmonious tones of the Fiat's 2 cylinder engine. Pictured is a 126 serving as a festival transport to some British youths in 1992.
Photo Credit:Chu's your weapon
4.) BMW
Suggested By:Buster Brew
Nicknames:Beemer, bring money with you, bimmer, BM, black man's wish, Be Em Ve, basic marin wheels, break my windows, beauty money wealth, bavarian mistress, brings more women, break my wallet, big money worries, bavarian money waster, barely movie wreck, bavarian miracle worke, B M Trouble You, Bus Metro Walk
Why it's so nicknamed: Jalopnik readers kept the bimmer jokes coming, with no less than eighteen less-than-savory nicknames for Bavaria's proudest carmaker. There are so many ways to twist around those three initials, and when a complete electronics malfunction has left you by the side of the road, you'll have plenty of time to think of some new acronyms. Pictured is a mid-eighties 318i in southwestern Germany.
Photo Credit:sittingbl
3.) Citroën 2CV
Suggested By:Vavon
Nicknames:According to Jalopnik readers and Wikipedia "Popular French nicknames were "Deuche" and "Dedeuche". The Dutch were the first to call it "het lelijke eendje" ("the ugly duckling") or just "Eend" ("duck"), while the Flemish called it "de geit" ("the goat"). In German-speaking countries, it is called "Ente" ("duck"). English nicknames include "Flying Dustbin","Tin Snail", "Dolly", "Tortoise"[33] and "Upside-down pram". In the former Yugoslavia, the car was called "spaček" (pronounced "spa-check", Slovene for "little freak"). In Spanish-speaking countries, they were nicknamed "dos caballos" (two horses), "citrola", "citruca", "cirila", "la rana" (the frog) and derived from "Citroën" were called "citroneta" and "la cabra" (the goat). In Denmark, the car has many names like "Gyngehest" (Rocking horse) or "Studenter-Jaguar" (student's Jaguar) while amongst 2CV enthusiasts the cars are affectionately called "De kære små" (the dear small ones). In Finland, the 2CV is known as "Rättisitikka" (Finnish for "rag Citroën") because of its canvas roof. In Swedish (at least in the Swedish-speaking areas of Finland), it's called "Lingonplockare" (since the looks are similar to a device for picking lingonberries). In Tunisia, they call it "karkassa". Hungarians call it "Kacsa" (pronounced "kacha" and meaning "duck"). In Israel, it was called "פחנוע" (pronounced "pah-noa", meaning "tin car") and in Iceland it was named "Sítróen braggi" (meaning "Citroën Quonset hut"). In Norway, the name was "Jernseng", meaning "iron bed". In Iran, it is known as "Jian / Zhian ژیان", which means "Fierce". In the U.S., it was known as the "flying rag top". American cartoonist Gilbert Shelton referred to it as the "duh-shuh-vuh", referring to the French pronunciation of "2CV". In Ireland it was noticed as the underdog or íochtarán or it was either called bucket of rust or Buicéad na meirge. This was because most imported cars at the time that come to Ireland would have to wait at the pier or harbour for at least for 3–12 months and especially in Westport, County Mayo where it is well known for its constant rain as the 2cv was very prone to corrosion. Outside France, the 2CV's most common nickname today[citation needed] is "The Duck", which seemed to be endorsed by Citroën which released a stuffed toy animal in the 1980s representing a duck with Citroën on its side and 2CV under its right foot."
Why it's so nicknamed: 2CVs have provided cheap transportation to students for decades and Jalopnik readers were able to remember thirty-five nicknames from their wilder years. Wikipedia probably helped, but owners love their 2CVs all over the world, picking up duck-related diminutives from Iran to Denmark.
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove
2.) Ford
Suggested By:31ModelA
Nicknames:F-O-R-D, Frigin' Old Rebuilt Dodge, Fix Or Repair Daily, Found On Road Dead, Fast Only Rolling Downhill, First On Race Day, First On Recall Day, Fabricated Of Refried Dung, Fails On Rainy Days, Fantastically Orgasmic Realistic Dream, Fatally Obese Redneck Driver, Fault Of R&D, Finally Obsolete Racing Device, Fireball On Rear Denting, First On Road to Dump, First On Rust and Deterioration, Fix Or Recycle Dilemma, Flipping Over Results in Death, Flipped Over Roadside Disaster, Follow Our Rusty Dogsled, Foot On Road Decelerates, Forced On Reluctant Drivers, Formed Of Rejected DNA, Forwarded Once; Return Denied, Forward Only; Reverse Defective, Forlorn, Old, Ratridden Dustbin, Fork Over Repair Dough, Fouled Out Re-done Dodge, Frequent Overhaul, Rapid Deterioration, Free Or Reduced Drastically, Frequent Opinion Really Disappointed, Fumes and Odors Readily Detectable, Funny Old Rattling Dump, (backwards) Driver Returns On Foot
Why it's so nicknamed: Ford is more than just shorthand for the Ford Motor Company; up through the 1950s it was common to call any Ford "a Ford" regardless of its model or type. Jalopnik readers gazed into their personal wayback machines to recall thirty five nicknames for Fo No Go, mostly along the lines of "First On Road to Dump." Pictured are some old folks taking a class on how to drive a Model T at Sacramento's California Auto Museum.
Photo Credit:Jack Snell
1.) Volkswagen Type 1
Suggested By:YankBoffin
Nicknames: According to Jalopnik readers and Wikipedia: "Käfer ("beetle") in Germany, Austria and Switzerland; Pichirilo in Ecuador; Pulga ("flea"), or "Escarabajo" ("beetle") in Colombia; ගෙම්බා ("frog") in Sri Lanka; Coccinelle (ladybug) in Algeria; Kever in Belgium; Vocho, Vochito or Volcho in Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia (mostly a shortening of "Volkswagen"; Vochito is affective diminutive); Fusca in Brazil and Paraguay; Escarabajo (meaning "Beetle") in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Venezuela; Peta ("turtle") in Bolivia; Folcika, or Buba (Bug) in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Sedan, then Fusca (popularly, Fusquinha that means Little Fusca) in Brazil; Косτенурка (Kostenurka) (meaning turtle) or Бръмбар (Brambar) (meaning beetle) in Bulgaria; Bug, Beetle, Choupette (Herbie's name in the French version of the movies) or Coccinelle (ladybug) in Canada; Escarabat (means "beetle") in Catalan; Poncho in Chile; Jiǎ Ké Chóng (甲壳虫) (means "beetle") in China; Buba in Croatia; Brouk in Czech Republic; Boblen (the bubble), Bobbelfolkevogn (a distortion of 'the bubble' and a translation of 'Volkswagen', the people's car), gravid rulleskøjte (pregnant rollerskate) or Hitlerslæden (The Hitler-sled) in Denmark; Cepillo ("Brush") in Dominican Republic; خنفسة - Pronounced khon-fesa (Beetle in Arabic) in Egypt; Fakrouna ("Tortoise") in Libya; Põrnikas ("beetle") in Estonia; Volkkari' (short from "Volkswagen"), Kuplavolkkari or just Kupla ("bubble") in Finland. Also names Jääkaappi (refrigerator) and Aatun kosto (Adolph's Revenge) are known; Coccinelle ("ladybug") in France, Quebec and Haiti; Буба (means "beetle") in the Republic of Macedonia; Jin-guei che (金龜車) in Taiwan; Σκαθάρι (Scathari meaning beetle), Σκαραβαίος (Scaraveos meaning Scarab), or Χελώνα (Chelona meaning Turtle) in Greece; Cucaracha or Cucarachita (Cockroach or little cockroach) in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras; Bogár ("bug") in Hungary; Bjalla ("bell") in Iceland; Beetle in India; Kodok (frog) in Indonesia; Ghoorbaghei (قورباغه ای) ("frog") in Iran; Agroga عكروكة (froggy)or Rag-gah ركـّة (small turtle)in Iraq; חיפושית ("Hipushit," beetle) or Bimba in Israel; Maggiolino (may bug, cockhafer) or the unofficial name of Maggiolone (can indicate Super Beetle) in Italy; Kabuto-mushi (カブトムシ） (means "drone beetle") in Japan; Kifuu in Kenya; Vabole in Latvia; Vabalas in Lithuania; Kura (turtle) or Kodok (frog) in Malaysia; Sedán, Pulguita (little flea), Vocho or Vochito (sometimes spelled "bocho/bochito") in Mexico; Kashima in Namibia; Bhyagute Car in Nepal literally: "Frog Car"; Kever in the Netherlands; Boble (bubble) in Norway; Foxi or Foxy in Pakistan; "Pendong", kotseng kuba (literally, 'hunchback car'), "pagong" (turtle),"Ba-o", (turtle in Cebuano dialect), or "Boks" in the Philippines; Garbus (literally, 'Hunchback') in Poland; Carocha in Portugal; Volky in Puerto Rico; Broasca / Broscuţă (little frog/froggy) or Buburuza (ladybird) in Romania; Фольксваген-жук (Folksvagen-zhuk) in Ukraine; Жук (Zhuk) (Bug) also in Russia; Буба or Buba in Serbia; Volla, Kewer, Volksie - Pronounced Folla in South Africa; Chrobák in Slovakia; Hrošč in Slovenia; Volks / Beetle/ Ibba (turtle) in Sri Lanka; Mgongo wa Chura" (Frog Back) or Mwendo wa Kobe" (Tortoise Speed) in Swahili; Folka (short for Volkswagen), Bagge (short for skalbagge, beetle) or Bubbla (bubble) in Sweden an; Swedish-speaking Finland; Kobe in Tanzania; รถเต่า - Pronounced Rod Tao (turtle car) / โฟล์คเต่า (Volk Tao) in Thai; Kaplumbağa or tosbağa (meaning turtle) or "vosvos" in Turkey; Con Bọ in Vietnam; Bhamba datya in Shona - Datya is frog in the vernacular from Zimbabwe; Tortuga in Panama; Escarabajo, Bocho o Rana in Perú; Kupla (Bubble) in Finland; Цох in Mongolia; Escarabajo (Beetle) and popularly Fusca or Fusquita in Uruguay"
Why it's so nicknamed: VW Beetles were long the most populous cars in the world, and if there's a stretch of road, a Volkswagen has probably driven on it. Wikipedia lists no less than one hundred and twelve local names for these omnipresent cars and we're sure there are more to be heard. It's not hard to find pictures of VWs living everyday lives in the most exotic places, but this being Jalopnik, let's remember the iconic bug with some salt flats oversteer, pictured here in southwestern Australia circa 1965.
Photo Credit:spelio