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When It Comes To Cars, What's In A Name?

11 October 1999

When It Comes To Cars, What's In A Name?

    PHILADELPHIA--Oct. 11, 1999--"I'm in love with my car...." Queen, A Night at the Opera.
    October is car care month and Americans are crazy about their cars and trucks. So much so, that some drivers name their cars. And what they name them often reveals their feelings towards the machines that occupy a large portion of their lives - especially their garages and driveways. Perhaps the names are simply a reflection of their owners' personalities.
    Pep Boys, the nation's leading automotive retail and service chain, recently asked owners what they named their cars and over 300 responded.
    "Americans' love affair with their cars is as strong as ever," notes Bill Furtkevic, Director of Marketing Communications. "We thought it'd be fun to see just how strong an emotional attachment some drivers have towards their vehicles. The passion people invest in their cars is one of the reasons owners look to us to meet all their car care needs."

    Here are some of the highlights:

    -- Women's names. Very popular. One poetic 1994 Subaru owner named their car "Ariella," while a 1979 Pontiac Firebird owner called their car "Mary Jane." "Big Bertha" (a 1995 Chevy truck), "Bessie" (a Ford van), "Betsy" (names given to both a 1990 Mustang GT and a 1997 Chevrolet Cavilier), and "Betty" (a 1988 Buick Century and a 1990 Honda Civic) also made the list. Then there was the unromantic, but very specific "My Wife's Car."

    -- Macho names abounded, almost all of them associated with trucks, from "Beast" (a 1987 Ford truck), to "Big Red" (a 1991 Chevrolet truck) and "The Silver Bullet" (a 1997 Dodge truck).

    -- One couple believed in equal billing, i.e., "Jim and Betsy" for their 1998 Oldsmobile.

    -- Colorful nicknames, such as "Bluie" (a 1992 Saturn), "Old Blue" (a 1973 GMC Jimmy), and "Red" (a 1998 Ford Contour and a 1991 Mazda truck) were popular. Other creative uses of color included "The Blue Bomber" (a 1999 Honda), "The Green Bomber" (a 1990 Chevy Blazer) and "The Mean Green Machine" (a 1988 Lincoln Town Car).

    -- Ever the melting pot, Americans also like exotic sounding foreign names. One owner called their 1991 Geo Metro "Methos" (Greek), while a 1992 Nissan Stanza carries the moniker "La Cargo" (French).

    -- Then there were the just plain weird: "Hoopdee" (a 1989 Subaru), "Hoopty" (a 1980 Jeep), "Becker Head" (a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan), and "The Diesel Gas" (a 1996 GMC Truck).

    Finally, as if more proof were needed that the love affair between man and machine still exists, a 1987 Nissan pickup is affectionately known as "My Baby."
    "The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names." -- Chinese Proverb.
    Pep Boys, founded in 1921 , has more than 650 locations in 37 states and Puerto Rico. Customers can find the nearest location by dialing 1-800-PEP-BOYS or visiting Pep Boys on the Internet at pepboys.com.