The Origin of Car Names
ALFA Romeo
ALFA is an abbreviation for "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili", Italian for "Lombardian Car Manufacturing Ltd.", while Romeo the name of Nicola Romeo, a businessman who bought ALFA a couple of years after its creation
Aston Martin
Named after the race "Aston Clinton" in Buckinghamshire in England and after the constructor Lionel Martin
Audi
Named after August Horch, whose family name would be "Audi" in Latin
Bentley
Named after W.O. Bentley
Benz
Named after Carl Benz
BMW
Abbreviation for "Bayrische Motorenwerke", German for "Bavarian Motor Factory"
Bugatti
Named after Ettore Bugatti. The factory was situated in Alsace-Lorraine, ceded from Germany to France after the First World War
Buick
Named after David Dunbar Buick
Cadillac
Named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac (1656-1750), French explorer in North America, first Mayor of Detroit
Chevrolet
Named after Louis Chevrolet
Chrysler
Named after Walter Chrysler
Dodge
Named after John and Horace Dodge
Ferarri
Named after Enzo Ferarri
FIAT
Abbreviation for "Fabrica Italiana Automobili Torino", Italian for "Italian Car Factory in Turin"
Ford
Named after Henry Ford
Honda
Named after Soichiro Honda
Jaguar
Named after the animal jaguar
Lamborghini
Named after Ferrucio Lamborghini
Lincoln
Named after Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America 1861-1865
Lotus
Named after the lotus flower
Maserati
Named after Alfieri, Bindo and Ettore Maserati
Mazda
Named after Jujiro Matsuda
Mercedes
A name given to the cars manufactured by Gottlieb Daimler by its importer in France, Emil Jellinek..whose daughter was named Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
The car trademarks Mercedes and Benz put together
Mercury
Named after the planet Mercury and the Winged Greek God
Mini
Means small, mini (originally a model name on a Morris, which latter on rather became a car of its own)
Mitsubishi
Japanese for "three diamonds"
Pontiac
Named after the town Pontiac in Michigan, USA, which in turn is named after an Indian chief by that name
Porsche
Named after Ferdinand Porsche, jr.
Rolls-Royce
Named after Lord Charles Stewart Rolls and Sir Frederick Henry Royce
SAAB
Abbreviation for "Svenska Aeroplanaktiebolaget", Swedish for "Swedish Airplane Ltd." The company started as a manufactory of airplanes to the Royal Swedish Airforce
Toyota
Named after Sakichi Toyoda
Volkswagen
German for "car for the people", a car that everyone should be able to have
Volvo
Means "I'm rolling" in Latin