Cars with Names

[FlyingMonkey2565]

When I was a little kid I received a plastic Revell funny car model for my birthday. I was thrilled. I put it together, painted it, and stickered it up. It sat on my bedroom shelf for years. It was McEwen's 57 Chevy, "Mongoose".

Being a young girl, I knew nothing about cars at the time. But I could relate to the names. Their names gave them not only a recognition factor, but a memorable personality. I never forgot them. I think it actually helped spur my interest in cars. First, learn the name, then learn about the car, the motor, the driver..... and so on.

I started collecting all of the racing models.
Warhorse, Snowman, The Snake, Crazy Horse, Warlord, Desperado, etc etc.

The first time I went to a drag race and saw the cars in person, I felt like part of the scene because I knew a little bit about them. I knew their names!

Today, when I'm at the track, I still look for the car's with names. There are so few now. Why is this tradition fading away?

Believe it. I've been in marketing my entire life.
The fans relate to car's with names much better than those without. Especially the youngsters or people without much auto knowledge. How do you root for a super comp dragster if it looks just like all the other dragsters?
A car with a name pasted on it suddenly has a personality and is not a big piece of noisy smelly metal any longer. (this is a quote from my niece)

So, Name your car! It might help draw more spectators, keep them interested, promote some fun brainstorming for names and perhaps help protect drag racing from extinction.

*Shelley Wiley* the former driver of the:
"Little Miss Dangerous" Vega, "NeverNever Land" dragster & "ShellShock" Camaro
And the wife of the guy that drives The Flying Monkey....

What's your car's name?

[Nitro Joe Jackson]

"Scratcher"

The original and always will be an original name of a car

[pro70z28]

They need the space for sponsors these days.

If you want to see cars with names, check out the nostalgia funny cars. A NF/C show is like stepping back in time.

[rick lester]

i usually don't read anything other than stock/superstock forum, for sale, or the lounge unless something catches my eye on the opening page (shame on me) but i had to read this one. back in the 80's we had a super gas opel named BAD MEDICINE, spelling might not be correct here, but was correct on car. opel was black with the lettering in silver, teal and hot pink. won every world of wheels car show was entered in. i am building a stocker and since my proposed sponsor doesn't want to get involved, i have been thinking about a paint job and design on the truck........BAD MEDICINE II. and underneath in smaller lettering THE DOCTORS BACK. dam i'm good. lol. in all seriousness i miss the names too. we even had a guy back then that had a chevelle were every body panel was a different color. we use to kid him about his "one piece at a time" chevelle. shows up one day with fresh paint, but all panels are still a different color, and lettered up ONE PIECE AT A TIME. even had his wife sew his race shirt from 1/2 a dozen shirts. won best appearing car. we gave him a standing ovation at the banquet, he was such a good sport. rick.

[Jim Woods]

some of my cars were BAD NEWS, THE TANKER, THE BOOTLEGGER, AMERICAN FLYER, THE OUTLAW, RAT NOW, and my pulling tractors ALL AMERICAN and BEAUTIFUL NOISE

[Floyd Gomez]

Shelley, It's ironic you brought this topic up as me and the family were discussing this same thing today. I too want to name my new car in memory of the days when I was a kid. I decided to let the kids have a go at it and my youngest daughter wants it to be Crazy Cajun. My oldest daughter wants Bayou Boogie and my wife had to put her 2 cents in and says it should be named Cause for Divorce. Hmmmmm, maybe she is trying to give me a hint that I should not be working on the car on Mothers Day Weekend.

[Tom Goldman]

My cars always have had an entry name,altho not lettered on the cars,as I liked the plain apperance of an unlettered car,[my cars rarely had MY name on them]. ........Maby now is the time for the Corvette to get "Bullets To Spare IV " on it somewhere! .....Tom

[don R]

Our JR. dragsters were "Too Gorilla" and "Wee Beastie" The too gorilla liked to drive through it's early type clutch and that's how John Force decribed that problem. Wee Beastie just seemed right.

[rugrat]

i have been using rugrat and last year commissioned a logo which ill use after my ride is painted

[ERNIE GRIGGS]

Ed its the " blue goose ". Dont think "mikey" has given his car a name as yet .