Luckily, the folks at Mercedes don't name the cars, but other makes cannot resist. We all know the legendary blunder of trying to sell a "Nova" in Mexico, but here's a list of some other name "facts."

The Buick LaCrosse, to be offered in Canada, was French-Canadian teenage slang for masturbation , so it's been renamed the Allure.

Volkswagen's Touareg, is named after a tribe of north African nomads that, it turns out, traded slaves well into the 20th century.

Lamborghini Murciélago is named after a bull by that name that gored a matador in 1879.

Toyota, in the 1980s was kicking around names like Celsius and Alexis. When someone on the team heard the "Alexis" proposal, the person didn't hear a woman's name but "a Lexus" instead. It stuck, but not before a battle with LexisNexis, the research company.

Toyota's Prius is Latin for "to go before."

Here are some old and new cars that aren't in North America, and would require a name change if they were:

Daihatsu Naked
Honda Life Dunk
Honda That's
Isuzu GIGA 20 Light Dump and Mysterious Utility
Mazda Bongo
Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear and Pistachio
Nissan Prairie Joy
Rickman Space Ranger
Rinspeed X-Dream
Suzuki Cappucino
Toyota Deliboy
Volugrafo Bimbo

Testarosa (Ferrari)-means "red head" in Italian. Sounds good in English though!

I always wondered what mischievous impulse seized the FOMOCO design team when they chose the patently naughty "probe"

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Would have said the famous South Park episode with the aliens..........but I know the probe predates that.....

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

AMC's Gremlin

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Anders

1995 E300
2015 VW TDI Sportwagen 15K
1977 240D (197K)
2002 Subaru Legacy L Wagon (115k) (Wife's)
Gone but not forgotten:
2005 Buick LeSabre
1998 C230
1984 300D
1983 240D
1981 300SD
1974 240D
1974 Fiat 124 Spider
1968 Triumph TR250

Don't get it. That's appropriate.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

OK AMC Pacer.

It was appropriate......a very durable drivetrain in a car body that was built to biodegrade very quickly.

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

The Ford Probe has to have one of the worst names ever. Whoever came up with that one I hope was fired.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

the all time funniest thing I've ever seen was on a Ford Probe. The namebadge on the car was just to the left of the license plate. I was behind someone at a light who had a personalized plate that said URANUS. Read together it said PROBE URANUS.

Cracked me up.

From a lawsuit point of view, there's nothing better than having a rear end accident caused by a Dodge Ram.

Ethnic Names

Suzuki Samurai
Isuzu Amigo
Ford Fiesta


"What's Worse Than ...

a pyromaniac in a Chevy Blazer?

a barber in a Seville

an insurance adjuster in an Acclaim

a creature in a black Laguna

an astronomer in an Eclipse

an exterminator in a Beetle

a call-girl in an Escort

a proctologist in a Probe

a proctologist in a Ram

a classical musician in a Sonata

a customs inspector in a Passport

a dog trainer in a Rover

a jeweler in a Topaz

a yoga instructor in a Lotus

a band leader in a Tempo

a Bullfighter in a Matador

a mother-in-law in a Barracuda

an electrician in a Charger

a snake handler in a Viper

a burglar in a Prowler

a former President from Georgia in a Jimmy

A member of the royal family in a Monarch

Barbie in a Malibu

Sgt. Preston in a Yukon

Joan Collins in a Dynasty

Jim Garner in a Maverick

Kato in a green Hornet

Colin Powell in a Diplomat

Wile E. Coyote in a Road Runner

Elmer Fudd in a Wabbit

John Mellencamp in a Cougar

AMC Matador,means murderer in espanol.

Ethnic humour break.......... Old Italian fellow walks into a bank,asks about a mortgage, the teller says'"I'm sorry sir, the loan arranger is out to lunch"

Old guy replies"thassa OK, I talka to Tonto"....................

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I remember the name Berretta being on a gun and a Chevy.

My sister had a red Ford Probe. She called it a throbbing red probe.

In a slightly more lavender vein we may recall 2 kit cars from the '50's The Charles Town About and the Gaylord Sport.

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No one argues that the Japanese have the funniest names.

Daihatsu
Applause
Charade
Detomaso
Pose
Social
Pico
Rocky

Honda
Acty Crawler
Ascot
Beat
Domani
Inspire
Orthia
Rafaga
Today
Asocie


Isuzu
Mu Wizard
Plaisir
Elf

Mazda
Bongo Brawny
Bongo Friendee
Carol
MeLady
Freda
Presso
Wild Breeze III
Scrum

Mitsubishi
Canter
Guts
Chariot
Resort Runner
Debonair
Delica
Space Gear
Eterna
Fighter
Minica Toppo
Cooler Deluxe
Black Edition
The Great

Nissan
Avenir Salut
Big Thumb
Bluebird
Cedric
Civilian
Super Limousine
Condor
Gloria
Homy
Laurel
Leopard
Prairie Joy
Rasheen
Serena
Space Arrow
Space Runner
Space Wing
Sunny California

Suzuki
Carry
Cultus
Jimny
Sierra Elk
Wild Wind

Toyota
Chaser
Coaster
Super Lounge
Cynos
Estima
Living Saloon EX
Hilux Surf
Sera
Soarer
Glanza