I just have to know.....

[Oldbugman]

Ok been here on the org for awhile now. There's been a question that's been hounding me for quite sometime. I really don't understand it and not exactly sure why people do it. To me it sounds ridiculous but hey everyone is different and that's what makes life interesting.

So the question is. Why do you guys name your cars? Trust me I'm a big auto enthusiast and have been driving for a long time, call me bland but I have never named a car. I just don't get it, maybe i'm not seeing the light! But to me a car is just that a car. A means of transportation, I have never had any thought of naming a car. So at what point in time does the revelation come that makes a person name a car? Seriously, it's a mechanical peice of equipment prone to fail at any given time. Does it make the car run any better knowing that it has a name? Hell it has no clue it's named, it does'nt have the ability to think.

Quite strange to me, and it's not only here on the Org I find this but I find people do it with quite regularity, regardless of the make or model.

Anyone care to enlighten me? I've never had a car "speak" to me. Sure I call my 56 the "beast" but that's only because that's what my wife refers to it as, to me it's just my 56 my NB is just my car.

Not trying to be a party pooper or anything just wondering how people can get so attatched to a car that they feel like they need to name it.

[dnyed]

I can only speak for myself.

I never named a car - until I bought my first VW, in 2002. And even then, it was 7 or 8 months before "she" told me her name. Her name was Jewel. I would have not named her that, she told me! I know it sounds strange, but she told me. I'm not crazy, many of my NB friends can attest to that.


Many have not experienced what I did. And, I am guessing, you are one of them.

[iluvmyVersa08]

I like naming the cars in our driveway ... However, they were not always named right away.

A couple years ago, my parents first ever brand new car (a 97 Chevrolet Venture) was giving them lots of issues. The locks would lock/unlock while driving. The radio would change channels on its own. The windows would not always work. And when trying to exit the vehicle, it would relock ... and make everyone panic that we were stuck inside, lol ... so because of his bright red exterior it felt right to name him "Chuckie" (From "Childs Play"). So we all call him Chuckie now because we feel he has a possessive nature to him, lol ...

My car I named Kit, because it is completely all Hello Kitty inside and out. I just hated referring to her as 'it' or "Versa" or "V" ... so I picked a name and that's what she gets called. My car just turned three in March, and my co-workers gave her a birthday card! I am not the only crazy one out there! LOL!

There are two other cars in the driveway ... the brand new minivan is a Dodge so I named him Dave.
My dad's daily driver doesn't have a name ... nothing ever came to mind for that car.

[kelleygraves2]

My car, Dory, is part of the family. I don't know I love my car and like to have a name for her instead of just calling her "my car". Even my husband calls her by her name. He's been kinda forced to but he goes along with it.

[Yello_jellybean]

While I AGREE with Dnyed... about the car "told me" thing, I think the only way I can answer the question is that...... I think it really depends on how you view things.

There are plenty of people who are just like you Oldbugman, who just view cars as nothing more than cars. There is nothing wrong with that. I think that a lot of VW people, (NOT just Beetle people, AND not just VW people either.. other car people too) they view their car as a friend. Kinda like it has a personality. Some of us even talk to it. Such as... there have been a few times that I have been in a SUPER nasty storm, that I was really scared to drive in. It made me feel better if I said "Okay buddy, It's just me and you, let's go home. We can do this." It's like I wasn't alone or something. I just think it's all about how you view it. If your relationship with cars is just that they are a mode of transportation, then fine. MY car is my friend. My friends all have names, So My car friend does too.
Do you see?

[scarabY2k]

Knowing you personally John, I can honestly say that you by no means are a party pooper- you're a bit of alright mang

Now to the query at hand...

Originally Posted by Yello_jellybean

While I AGREE with Dnyed... about the car "told me" thing, I think the only way I can answer the question is that...... I think it really depend on how you view things.

There are plenty of people who are just like you Oldbugman, who just view cars as nothing more than cars. There is nothing wrong with that. I think that a lot of VW people, (NOT just Beetle people, AND not just VW people either.. other car people too) they view their car as a friend. Kinda Like it has a personality. Some of us even talk to it. Such as... there have been a few times that I have been in a SUPER nasty storm, that I was really scared to drive in. It made me feel better if I said "Okay buddy, It's just me and you, let's go home. We can do this." It's like I wasn't alone or something. I just think it's all about how you view it. If your relationship with cars is just that they are a mode of transportation, then fine. MY car is my friend. My friends all have names. So My car friend does too.
Do you see?

JoAnne, you've hit on a lot of good points, some of which I concur and will piggy-back on.

I can remember as a child, Pops naming his cars- traditionally for us, they were female. Most of the dudes I grew up with had a name for their cars too, usually female. And yes, some of the ladies had names for their rides. So yes, you are correct- the naming of cars goes far beyond the VW brand and way before their existence.

As I see it, the naming a car, or other inanimate objects, such as B.B. King's guitar Lucille, is a way to connect with something that is of personal significance to you, weather it's a guitar, or a car. To some, such as yourself, it might have significance to you, but not as endearing, thus appreciating it for what it is- decent transportation and nothing else, which is okay.

Many don't name their cars, but it is funny how many will talk to their cars, especially when they don't start, or start acting up; there's a Duralast commercial currently running on T.V. that very well illustrates my point, and is a reflection of what a good number of us do.

Also, many who've worked on their cars have had some pretty in-depth conversations with their cars, especially when a certain bolt doesn't come off, or they bust a knuckle... oh yes, i've been there beforeSome don't name their cars, but they sure do talk to them as if they do have a personality

And I know the "my car spoke to me" sounds kinda, but I can relate to that. For me it's like you look at your car, especially if you know what you're going to buy, and it exudes a certain vibe about it. I remember when I bought my '66 Corvair 500, I knew when I saw her, that her name was Suzy- it just had that vibe to it.

Names are how we connect- weather it be our loved ones, a pet, and for some of us a car, it's a way to identify something that we have an affinity for. For some it's Jewel... for other's it's Jitters.... for some it's Cup.... for some it might be the Beast. Some even call their cars "a piece". Wether in love or hate, we'll slap on a name to connect and identify. And if there's no name, that's okay too... to each their own.

That's my take on it my good man

[billymade]

All I can say is; there maybe a old carry over from the early air cooled vw's.... I remember as a kid... seems that people used to name their vw's back then; just a thought...
For those people who neglect their cars; they seem to mention that it is making a "sound"; I always say..... "your car is speaking to you, listen to it or ignore it at your own peril!" Helps those who don't maintain their car; to establish a "rapport" with it and hopefully take better care of them! Humanizing your car or Anthropomorphism (ing) seems to help the human/car relationship! Oh, yeah... remember Herbie the love bug? Then, the not so nice car movie; Christine? It also could be a carry over from the horse and buggy era; of course your horse had a name and people always spoke to it; only natural they would do the same to their "horseless carriage"! Many examples in popular culture... of course even before automobiles, there were ships and many other things, modes of transportation, in history have been named as well...

[dmbluebeetle]

For me, billymade pretty much nailed it.

I always thought it had to do with the "Herbie" movies too....I think it adds to the ambiance of the car.

[lil.smartie]

Smartie is just that a Smart car, Elmo is red and my daughter is 2 and called him that so the blue one just had to be Cookie!! LOL

Kate

[Johnny Ohio]

I call my Bug by several different names.

None of which are Org friendly.

Seriously though. I've never named a car.

[Oldbugman]

Originally Posted by johnny ohio

i call my bug by several different names.

None of which are org friendly.

seriously though. I've never named a car.

lol

[digitalputty]

I don't know why I named Zoomer. I also don't know why I named my previous car (2001 Ford Focus ZX3 in "white" - Blizzard). I mean, I know why I named the Focus Blizzard but ... I don't know why I named my cars. For fun? I also have a name for my guitar, my computer, as well as a few other things ... lol

[scarabY2k]

Originally Posted by digitalputty

I don't know why I named Zoomer. I also don't know why I named my previous car (2001 Ford Focus ZX3 in "white" - Blizzard). I mean, I know why I named the Focus Blizzard but ... I don't know why I named my cars. For fun? I also have a name for my guitar, my computer, as well as a few other things ... lol

You play guitar??? Who knew

pretty cool BTW

[Lov3Bug]

Our beetles are part of our family. We spend more time and money on them than we do ourselves. They're like pets, but more expensive.

I've found very few beetle owners, old or new that don't have names for their cars. A friend who has an old super didn't have a name but hers got it's name at a show by a little girl who happened by.

We have four and I suppose we could call them 06, 10, 66 and 67 but it would be a bit strange.

[digitalputty]

Originally Posted by scarabY2k

You play guitar??? Who knew

pretty cool BTW

I haven't played it for a long while. But, I want to learn. LOL

[scarabY2k]

Originally Posted by digitalputty

I haven't played it for a long while. But, I want to learn. LOL

Cool. I'm sure you still have the chops.
Antione plays drums, I play the piano/keyboard, and you play the guitar- we've got an org garage band

[HarlequinPixie]

I don't remember anyone I actually knew growing up that had names for their cars, but before i ever really thought about why people named them, I do remember ones on TV and in Movies having names.. (Kit, the General Lee, etc), and things like boats and planes that had names..

So when i started driving, it just felt natural, cuz the cars i've had definitely had their own personalities, that's for sure.

Oh.. and I had a "Beast", too. I was a 16-18 year old girl driving a huge 1985 Ford Bronco that never liked to start, and often stalled until it got warmed up.. that was always fun leaving the school parking lot. My car even made it into the yearbook.

second car also got its name from its... quirks, which, while the car was already 8-9 years old when i got it, were largely my own doing in a way. After the Beast blew a head gasket, my grandparents gave me their old car a few months early (the were going to give it to me when i started college, but the other one died in early july)... and a bout a week and a half later, I got into an accident with it. So, for many years, I drove a 1988 Dodge Daytona that was white, but had a silver hood and left front fender. the new hood also had an air vent thing in it that the original that didn't, and would let water onto the engine if it rained hard, and she'd stall.. anyways.. long story short, she got named Pos, after the adam sandler song.. Piece Of Shhh... Car. lol

After that, they had more normal names. Jack (1991 Grand Am.. also easy to work into bad word names when he misbehaved), Wanda, aka the Scarlet Witch (1994 Ford Taurus), Ginger (1998 Chevy lumina), and finally Stella.

'nuff rambling