65 replies to this topic

[funformula]

While currently sick with flu, not able to do much else  and therefore a bit bored, I´ll try to start a new and hopefully interesting topic

Has anyone knowledge about nicknames for race cars given by their team personell?

 

As a start, I have two examples:

 

Toleman TG181  "General Belgrano"

Named after the outdated Argentinian battleship sunk in the Falkland War

 

Arrows A9  "K9"

Because that car was a real dog

[StanBarrett2]

Sebastian Vettal named his cars

 

2008 Toro Rosso STR3                      Julie

2009 Red Bull RB5                             Kate's Dirty sister

2010 Red Bull RB6                             Luscious Liz or Randy Mandy

2011 Red Bull RB7                             Kinky Kylie

2012 Red Bull RB8                             Abbey

2013 Red Bull RB9                             Hungry Heidi

2014 Red Bull RB10                           Suzie

2015 Ferrari SF15-T                           Eve

2016 Ferrari SF16-H                           Margherita

 

Anyone know what he called the SF17-H ??

 

macoran       

[Tim Murray]

Here are a couple of earlier nickname-related threads:

Nicknames

Interesting nicknames for a race car

[Michael Ferner]

K9's good, though.

[Vitesse2]

K9's good, though.

Probably a few Dr Who fans at Arrows in those days. K-9 is the one on the right!

 

[funformula]

Here are a couple of earlier nickname-related threads:

Nicknames

Interesting nicknames for a race car

 

Thanks for the link.

Wasn´t aware that the subject has been already discussed.

Now I have a lot of interesting stuff to read   

[john winfield]

Pat Moss used to give her cars names, sometimes variations on the registrations (Alf the A40, Zoe etc) and sometimes not, Granny for example, her Morris Minor.

[retriever]

Can we have some more pictures of Golden Retrievers?

[PayasYouRace]

While currently sick with flu, not able to do much else and therefore a bit bored, I´ll try to start a new and hopefully interesting topic
Has anyone knowledge about nicknames for race cars given by their team personell?

As a start, I have two examples:

Toleman TG181 "General Belgrano"
Named after the outdated Argentinian battleship sunk in the Falkland War

Arrows A9 "K9"
Because that car was a real dog

Presumably the TG181 only got that nickname in 1982. And it was a cruiser by the way.

[funformula]

Presumably the TG181 only got that nickname in 1982. And it was a cruiser by the way.

A light cruiser to be perfectly accurate.
Correct, the TG181 was used almost the whole 1982 season too...outdated technology, hence the nickname.

[Louism]

1973 Porsche 911 RSR known as Marie Stuart...

[Bloggsworth]

Presumably the TG181 only got that nickname in 1982. And it was a cruiser by the way.

 

Belgrano, a ship which survived Pearl Harbour when the USS Phoenix, is the only vessel to have been sunk by a nuclear submarine and, I believe, the last operational ship left from WW2.

[plannerpower]

"Dorcas";

 

http://www.bsafwdc.o...g-pages/dorcas/

 

In the King James Bible (Acts 9.36), Dorcas/Tabitha is described as "... full of good works ...".

 

In the Roaring Twenties days of Brooklands, nicknames were given to many cars; quite a few were named after the wife of someone other than the car owner/driver, with names something like "Mrs Smith" or "Mrs Jones".

 

I think the most inventive of those who adopted this practice was the chap who christened his car "Mrs Frequently".

[Dick Willis]

The Stewart MG which was often known as The Wheeler Fortune because of the pile of money it's then owner, Les Wheeler had poured into it.

[Lee Nicolle]

Mustang Sally, the ex John Bowe 69 Mustang now raced by the Johnsons in TCM.

[Henri Greuter]

Belgrano, a ship which survived Pearl Harbour when the USS Phoenix, is the only vessel to have been sunk by a nuclear submarine and, I believe, the last operational ship left from WW2.

 

 

If my memory serves me well, I remember something like the USS Arizona in Hawaii (Sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbour) is according all paperworks etc still the only war ship from the WW2 era still operational. I'm sure we have fellow members from the USA who know more about it but I recall to have read that the Arizona has never been officially retired from active service and technically still is in a status of being operational.

 

 

 

Edit:  This is what Wikipedia says:

 

 

It is commonly—albeit incorrectly—believed that Arizona remains perpetually in commission, like the USS Constitution Arizona is under the control of the National Park Service,  but the U.S. Navy still retains the title.  Arizona retains the right, in perpetuity, to fly the Uniterd States Flag as if she were an active, commissioned naval vessel.

 

 

So this means, if I understand things correct; Not really in service but not entirely out of commission.....

 

 

 

EndEdit

 

 

 

 

 

 

Henri

Edited by Henri Greuter, 21 February 2018 - 09:01.

[Arjan de Roos]

Sebastian Vettal named his cars

 

....

Anyone know what he called the SF17-H ??

 

macoran       

Gina

[Michael Ferner]

Gina? Isn't that the name of the Schu's wife?? Do we need to be told something???

[WOT]

Gina? Isn't that the name of the Schu's wife?? Do we need to be told something???

 

His daughter.

 

His wife's name is Corinna.

[f1steveuk]

Arrows A2 "Doodlebug". 1000 HP Sunbeam land speed record car, known as either "The Mystery Racer" (because of the secrecy it was built under), or "The Slug".  I have heard of the Lotus 56 being called the "Flying Wedge" or the "Cheese Wedge". Stanley Steamer land speed cars were referred to as "Wobblebug" and not surprisingly as "The Kettle".

 

The Irving Napier Special was nicknamed, and has become known as the "Golden Arrow", and my favourite, Graham Hill referred to the BT34 as the "Bastard Thing 34". I thought he liked it!!

Edited by f1steveuk, 21 February 2018 - 11:12.

[BRG]

Belgrano, a ship which survived Pearl Harbour when the USS Phoenix, is the only vessel to have been sunk by a nuclear submarine and, I believe, the last operational ship left from WW2.

Pah, a newbie.  HMS Victory, commissioned in 1778, remains a part of the Royal Navy to this day.

[Vitesse2]

Pah, a newbie.  HMS Victory, commissioned in 1778, remains a part of the Royal Navy to this day.

One of my great-uncles, a career Royal Navy man, finished his service on Victory in about 1935, retiring as a CPO. He was somewhat luckier than his younger brother, who was killed at Jutland, aged 16 ...

[PayasYouRace]

Pah, a newbie.  HMS Victory, commissioned in 1778, remains a part of the Royal Navy to this day.

 

She might be in commission but she's not exactly operational, other than as a heritage attraction.

[Rob Ryder]

Stanley Steamer land speed cars were referred to as "Wobblebug" and not surprisingly as "The Kettle".

Weren't the Stanley Steamers the final attempts by BRM in 1975?

[MCS]

"Chocolate Drop" for the wonderful Chevron B26-Hart that Brian Redman and Peter Gethin shared in the 1974 BOAC 1000Kms at Brands Hatch; the only time the two Chevron greats shared a drive to  my knowledge.

[GMACKIE]

Doug Whiteford's Ford V8 special...'Black Bess'.

 

Remembered another one:-

 

Bill Chadwick's 30/98 Vauxhall 'Drainpipe Special'.

Edited by GMACKIE, 21 February 2018 - 23:02.

[Ray Bell]

There was also another 30/98 had a nickname...

It was in Adelaide, do you remember that one?

And how about 'Puff'?

[Lee Nicolle]

And the very obvious, the Campbell clan of Bluebirds.

[RCH]

Off the top of my head the two Ecosse C2 cars were Henry and Reggie?

[f1steveuk]

Weren't the Stanley Steamers the final attempts by BRM in 1975?

Well by then there was as much steam and smoke coming out of the BRMs!

 

Stanley Brothers built a few beach racers, and Fred Marriott did drive one to a record. "Wogglebug" because of the strange motion the car got from the hugely long connecting and massive flywheel.

 

Blue Bird, (Sir Malcolm Campbell) and Bluebird (Donald), is hardly a nickname, indeed the boats had to be registered

[Odseybod]

Porsche 935 /78 "Moby Dick", of course. Not to mention the Batmobile BMW 3.0/3.2 CSLs when fully be-winged.

[Michael Ferner]

"Hoodoo Wagon"

[sabrejet]

Off the top of my head the two Ecosse C2 cars were Henry and Reggie?

 

Yes - Henry (Ford DFL) and Reggie (the Rover V64V) IIRC.

 

NPTI used to name its GTP cars: the 'winningest' being Elvis IIRC.

[D-Type]

Off the top of my head the two Ecosse C2 cars were Henry and Reggie?

A third car was nicknamed [Postman] Pat as it had Post Office sponsorship

[KBY191]

MG record breaker EX135 based on an K3 Magnette was known as Humbug for its cream and brown striped paint scheme.

Chitty Bang Bang Four was rechristened Babs by Parry-Thomas.

[Ray Bell]

KBY, your presence reminded me that the HDT had nicknames for their GTS 350s...

Do you know what they were?

[KBY191]

No idea Ray, hoping you can enlighten us all.

[Kenzclass]

Stovebolt (HWM)
Little Bastard (James Dean’s 550 Spyder)
Old Yeller (II)

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by KBY191
No idea Ray, hoping you can enlighten us all.

If I recall, one of them was called the 'Iron Horse' or similar. But wasn't the only one with a name.

[Team Result]

Surely, Alan Grice wasn't the first to name his race car 'Elvis'. His Holden Torana A9X certainly had a few big hits in its lifetime.

[f1steveuk]

MG record breaker EX135 based on an K3 Magnette was known as Humbug for its cream and brown striped paint scheme.

Chitty Bang Bang Four was rechristened Babs by Parry-Thomas.

Sorry, this might be the pedant in me! EX135 was Humbug when it was an open wheel car, when Goldie Gardner used it, with the all enveloping bodywork, designed by Reid Railton, it was just EX135, and green!

 

Parry Thomas renamed the "Higham Special" , not a Chitty, "BAB's".

Edited by f1steveuk, 24 February 2018 - 11:21.

[Allan Lupton]

Pedantry continues!

As Steve pointed out earlier and to my way of thinking also a nickname is totally unofficial and some of the offerings in this thread are just the names of the cars - such as Parry Thomas's "Babs", the Gleggs' "Dorcas" and the Campbells' Blue Birds/Bluebirds

[Henk Vasmel]

Sorry, this might be the pendant in me! 

You talk about long ago. Are you a grandfather clock?

[f1steveuk]

You talk about long ago. Are you a grandfather clock?

Just ticking away until I remove the "n"!!  (The joys of posting from an Iphone, that really don't like posting what you have written, more  what they want!!)

[PhantomRaspberryBlower]

NPTI used to name its GTP cars: the 'winningest' being Elvis IIRC.

 

Elvis was so-named due to the number of comebacks the chassis made after it was supposed to have been retired - I don't recall any of the other cars having names though.

[GMACKIE]

I know someone who called his car Elvis...because it had so many 'hits'.

[Ray Bell]

I don't think Grice used 'Elvis' as a name for a car...

It was merely the way he spoke about the car... "It's had more hits than Elvis."

[Lee Nicolle]

Well by then there was as much steam and smoke coming out of the BRMs!

 

Stanley Brothers built a few beach racers, and Fred Marriott did drive one to a record. "Wogglebug" because of the strange motion the car got from the hugely long connecting and massive flywheel.

 

Blue Bird, (Sir Malcolm Campbell) and Bluebird (Donald), is hardly a nickname, indeed the boats had to be registered

There was cars as well!

[Lee Nicolle]

I know someone who called his car Elvis...because it had so many 'hits'.

A very common expression and name. There has been a few Elvises over the years, generally for that reason.

[f1steveuk]

There was cars as well!

There were indeed Blue Bird, and Bluebird cars, but named after the play of the same name, not a nickname