Feature article

The Name Game: Best & Most Unique Car Names

Kiwi enthusiasts reveal their best car names, grouped by humour, pop culture links, and classic affection.

Last updated: 7 November 2025

It's a fact of life for any car owner: once you've spent a bit of time behind the wheel, your trusty vehicle tends to stop being a simple object and start becoming a part of the whānau. And what do you do with a loved one? You give them a name.

Whether it’s a nod to a famous musician, a tongue-in-cheek reflection of its speed (or lack thereof), or simply because it rhymes, the tradition of naming cars is alive and well in Aotearoa.

We asked our followers and some of our motors enthusiasts here at Trade Me to share what they call their rides and why. The answers were as unique and fun as the cars themselves!

Naming Your Ride: The Aotearoa Roll Call

Giving your car a proper car name is a uniquely human thing to do. It transforms a machine into a character, making the daily commute or the weekend roadie that much more personal. We've grouped the best names we found into three main themes.

1. The Humour of Imperfection and Acronyms

This theme celebrates the affectionate, yet honest, names given to cars that have their "quirks"—or outright mechanical problems.

Barely Moving Weekender: A beautiful BMW 540is, a sleek sedan that packs the famous M60 V8, was nicknamed this by friends. It’s a funny acronym that mocks the model's badge, highlighting its status as a pampered "garage princess.

Barely Moving Weekender (BMW 540is)

Lemon / Yanny: This Nissan Laurel C33 was known as Lemon because of its reliability issues—a classic Kiwi name for a troublesome ride. It was also cleverly dubbed Yanny, referencing the viral 'Laurel vs. Yanny' audio meme.
Hungus: This owner jokes that the petrol in their car is "in one day and gone the next lol." Hungus is the perfect nickname for a car with a very real thirst for fuel.
Ed the Rally Car: Like many cars in Aotearoa, this rally car was simply called Ed because of the letters on its number plate. The simple name stuck, enduring through all the inevitable mechanical issues that come with motorsport.

Ed the Rally Car

Yarrison: A Toyota Yaris owner gave their car this name because it makes the car sound "feminine," highlighting the playful side of modern car naming.

2. Pop Culture & Colour Codes

These names are inspired by a car's defining physical characteristic (like its colour) and links them to famous fictional characters, musicians, or objects.

Clifford the Big Red Rex Dawg: This 1993 Mazda RX7 is Vintage Red. That bright, bold aesthetic immediately brought to mind a famous cartoon character, leading to the car name Clifford, after the big red dog.

Clifford the Big Rex Dog

Ruby the Rav: Simple, effective, and straight from the car’s official documentation. This Toyota RAV4 was named Ruby the Rav because its colour is officially "Ruby Red."

Freddie: A yellow car was proudly named Freddie because it’s "yellow like Freddie Mercury’s jacket!" That’s a name with strength and style.
Smurff: A simple, playful name based entirely on a car's blue colour—a reminder that some of the best names are the most obvious ones.
Cujo the Pulsar: A cool Nissan Pulsar was named Cujo, linking up with friends who had cars called Kath and Kim. Cujo was the dog character from that show, making it a great group theme!

3. Classic Affection & Powerful Presences

This final group contains names of endearment, those with rhyming flair, or names given to reflect a car’s perceived size and power.

Elsie / Bessie: Two beautiful examples of classic affection. Elsie is a '56 Morris Minor named after the owner’s great grandma. Another car was simply named Bessie—classic, simple, and full of warmth.
Brutus: This powerful name was given to a black Ford Ranger to reflect its "strength!"
Rita the Red Tiida: A perfect example of a name chosen just because it has a great rhythm to it. Rita the Red Tiida is just fun to say.
Spaceship: An aspirational name given to a car that the owner feels is just out of this world.
Bian-say: This owner named their Mazda Biante with a little Beyoncé style—a great modern twist on a traditional name.
Laika: Named due to its Soviet-green colour and a "scraggly" aesthetic reminiscent of the famous, yet unfortunate, space dog, the name reflects both the truck's vibe and an affectionate pity.

Laika

Finding a car name for your vehicle is a personal choice. Whether you go for something funny, classic, or a name that reflects the car's personality (or lack of reliability!), the best name is the one that makes you smile when you walk out to the driveway.