Car names from aeroplanes
 

A neighbour of mine has restored a Triumph Spitfire. Last time I rode in one was 1969 and with your bum so close to the ground it felt like 50mph at 30mph. The suspension didn't help.
Why Spitfire? Was it the 'slightly' elliptical nose on the bonnet, or just a marketing name to give it some fizz?
It got me thinking. I racked my brain for other cars that had the model names of aeroplanes & failed. Thinking mainly of UK types, but it doesn't matter.

So whose got what in their memory, and why so few cross-over do you think? If Saab were marketing its cars with an association with its aircraft, why not call one of its cars Griffen?

Anyway let's hear them.

Vauxhall Viceroy.

Vincent Hurricane
Singer Gazelle
Ford Puma
Ford Mustang

Vauxhall Victor

Standard VANGUARD

Triumph HERALD

Chrysler VALIANT

GMC TYPHOON

Ford PREFECT

Mercury COMET

Austin AMBASSADOR

Holden HURRICANE


(There are more, but I'm now retiring!)

A whole Squadron of Bristol's.

Slight thread drift but...

BSA A65 Thunderbolt
also A65 Lightning

Jowett Javelin

Reliant Scimitar

Ford also managed a Corsair, Falcon and Meteor

Re the OP, SAAB of course did produce an Aero version of the 900 plus a 9-3 Viggen special edition

Lots of the examples above are cases where the car came first, so was not named after the aeroplane! e.g. Standard had a Vanguard in production in 1948, 11 years before Vickers flew their Vanguard (unless you reckon the Vickers Type 170 which is a bit specialist!)
Wot about Armstrong-Siddeley aeroplanes then?
Lancaster
Hurricane
Typhoon
Tempest
Whitley
and then they used names for their aeroplane engines that the car industry seemed to like such as:
Jaguar
Lynx (e.g. Riley)
Tiger (Sunbeam)
and Sapphire which A-S used for both car and engine!

I suspect that very few cars were consciously named after their aircraft counterparts (with the possible exception of the Spitfire).

That aside, I've always wondered why a French wind was named after a jet airliner. :O

+ Vincent Comet.

No one mentioned Hillman Hunter - best and worst in one sentence, although an RAF navigator was one of the crew in a Hunter that took part in the England Australia Rally in the 60s - Dave Carrington ISTR, but a long time ago

I prefer a pair myself.

Then there's the Aston Martin Vulcan.

https://www.astonmartin.com/en/live/...o-new-extremes

Oh I dunno Wanderoo - I had a Hunter GLS with the Holbay engine and 2 fairly large Weber DCOE carbs + overdrive - it was just getting into its power band at 85mph in 4th gear/overdrive - lovely car to drive (in a straight line :) ).
Metallic Blue with black vinyl roof and smart Rostyle wheels.
I was very sad to let it go when I left the RAF,but it really needed 5 star fuel,they had already stopped making 5 star and when I became a civvy I lost my supply of 100 octane LOL :cool:

Hillman Imp (Parnall Imp)
Riley Elf (Parnall Elf)
Gilbern Crusader ( Short Crusader)
Ford Consul (Airspeed Consul)
Morris Oxford (Airpeed Oxford)
Austin Cambridge (Airspeed Cambridge)
Austin Princess Saunders Roe Princess)
Humber Snipe (Sopwith Snipe)
Hunting Harrier (Hawker Harrier)
Triumph Stag (De Havilland Stag)

And doubtless many more.....

What a mine of trivial wonders. Many thanks. Astonishing at the speed of recall & reply. Very humbling and senior memory has not yet set in, but you guys make it feel like it.

Whether all the names were after a/c, e.g. Mustang, is a bar-room discussion, but hey, what the heck.

Not only was it entered, but it won!

Rootes/Chrysler were so surprised, they had no plans to capitalise on the unexpected success.

They had to rapidly invent the Hunter GLS that longer ron had.

To clarify, two (both works built) cars were entered in London-Sydney 68. The works entered car won (Cowan/Coyle/Malkin). The other car was RAF entered.


Four (all works built but privately funded/entered) Hunters ran in the 1970 London-Mexico World Cup Rally.

Saab Viggen.

Hillman Avenger
Suzuki Swift

Ford will make a land vehicle with a fuel motor/generator driving the rear axle and an electric motor in each front hub. The _________.

(you guessed it)

Renault Caravelle.

Hindustan/Airspeed Ambassador

Particularly when you see the horse emblem:) But, there are some rumblings of the twin finned design of the late 50's and early 60's US cars being patterned after the twin-boom/tail of the P-38.

Off topic, but there is one SUV that I would never want because of it's name....Armada. It's huge and the namesake was summarily dispatched efficiently in the 1500's.

Citation (Cessna/Chev)
Aztec (Piper/Pontiac)
Viper (GD/Dodge)
Lancer (Rockwell/Mitsubishi)
Skyhawk (Cessna/Buick)
Dakota (Douglas/Dodge)
Pacer (Piper/AMC)
Pathfinder (Piper/Nissan)
Caravan (Cessna/Dodge)

My first car was a Heinkel; my older brother drove a Messerschmitt.

My first car was an Australian Holden Gemini (they would not have heard of the Miles product).

Jowett Jupiter

I guess it could have been named after the Vultee Vanguard ;)

I recalled Andrew Cowan's team had won the Australia Rally: as for memories of cars, brother had in turn a Heinkel, Vauxhall Wyvern and Triumph Mayflower before split screen Minor drop head. Although younger by 2 years he was working whilst I was still at school. My first car a Ford Prefect, 100E as I recall

Reliant 'Robin?'
Ford 'Corsair'

Of course we mustn't forget the timeless BMW 'IdontneedindicatorscosIdrivea325GT'

Of the two wheeled variety...Triumph 'Trident'