I’m sure psychologists have a lot to say about our tendency to name our cars, and it probably has something to do with identity, materialism, self-esteem, whatever. But at the very least, can we just agree that getting to name stuff is one of the best things about being a person? It’s right up there with having pizza delivered and sleeping in on a Saturday.
Today is National Name Your Car Day (for real). According to a study conducted by the Automobile Association, about 40% of people name their car.
In this office, we’ve got a maroon Pontiac G4 named Maria; “Babe the Blue Ox,” named after the sidekick to Paul Bunyan; a jeep called “The Boss,” because “she’s always right”; “The Mango Tango,” which is the orangest truck I’ve ever seen in my entire life; and “Ol’ Blue,” who is old, loud enough to hear from 2 miles away, and can shoot water from the windshield at other cars.
Naming stuff is an experience we all want to have. Babies are kind of a time commitment. Goldfish last like two days. Cars serve as a nice middle ground, and that’s why this whole car-naming juggernaut makes for a fantastic and compelling marketing tool. Toyota partnered up with Conill to bring people free customized nameplates in the same style and typeface as the official Toyota marque. But if you don’t already have a moniker for your vehicle, you can check out AutoAccessoriesGarage.com—they’ve fashioned a Car Name Generator specifically for Name Your Car Day. I did it for my car and got the name “Willy Honka,” which is almost suspiciously accurate—because if there’s a car alarm going off in the office parking lot, it’s probably mine.