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Car name origins & oddities


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#301 ZL1Johnny

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Posted 07 November 2009 - 08:45

Hello. Has ANYone heard of a Mclaren Canam (Can Am) test mule car called The DOME...or whay it was called that? Any info on the Chevy 427 ZL-1 Prototype Aluminum / aluminium block would be great too. ZL1Johnny@yahoo.com

Edited by ZL1Johnny, 07 November 2009 - 08:50.


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#302 RCH

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Posted 07 November 2009 - 16:02

Can I comment on a couple of recurring themes in this thread?

Eric Broadley's "special" was named Lola by his family after the song "Whatever Lola wants Lola gets" which was recorded by a pop artist (don't ask me who!) around the time. I'm told it was something along the lines of "We'd better call the car Lola, because whatever Lola wants, Lola gets." The song was based on Lola Montez who, to muddy the waters with another recurring theme, despite giving herself an exotic Spanish name was actually Irish.

I believe the name Lotus is in some way connected with the supposed narcotic, additive effects of the Lotus flower, the eaters of which as described in the Oddesey and a poem by Tennyson lose all touch with reality. Perhaps it was an apt description of Chapman's approach to car building?

#303 Allan Lupton

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Posted 07 November 2009 - 16:27

Eric Broadley's "special" was named Lola by his family after the song "Whatever Lola wants Lola gets" which was recorded by a pop artist (don't ask me who!) around the time. I'm told it was something along the lines of "We'd better call the car Lola, because whatever Lola wants, Lola gets." The song was based on Lola Montez who, to muddy the waters with another recurring theme, despite giving herself an exotic Spanish name was actually Irish.

Came from the musical "Damn Yankees"
Eartha Kitt recorded it, probably at about the appropriate time.

#304 RCH

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Posted 07 November 2009 - 16:58

Came from the musical "Damn Yankees"
Eartha Kitt recorded it, probably at about the appropriate time.


Eartha Kitt, yes of course it was!

#305 kayemod

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Posted 07 November 2009 - 17:10

I believe the name Lotus is in some way connected with the supposed narcotic, additive effects of the Lotus flower, the eaters of which as described in the Oddesey and a poem by Tennyson lose all touch with reality. Perhaps it was an apt description of Chapman's approach to car building?



Quite possibly true, but there are other no less plausible explanations. Colin Chapman used to enjoy the endless speculation and never confirmed or denied anything as far as I know, but one possibility is that he took the name from a piece of porcelain that he once found himself sitting on. A little known bit of trivia about The Man is that he was a qualified sanitary engineer, not that that's a necessary qualification for sitting on porcelain of course, or even 'pointing Percy' at it.

#306 fbarrett

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Posted 07 November 2009 - 17:19

Friends:

Two cars built here in Colorado:

BOCAR: named for its creator, BOb CARnes.
MAXTON: just a name chosen by its creator, Bob Sutherland.

Frank

#307 gm914

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Posted 27 December 2009 - 00:27

LEXUS = Luxury EXport to United States

Toyota's MR2 (Mid engined Roadster? 2 seater), but rebadged in France,
as it sounded like MeRde.

#308 Terry Walker

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Posted 27 December 2009 - 01:50

On old Indianapolis names, I was always intrigued by the Dean Van Lines Special, wondering who Dean Van Lines was, which sounded like a Dutch surname. I woke up eventually.

There's a Formula Vee or two in built in Western Australia called the Vecari, where the second half of the name is "i race v" in reverse. And the sucvcessful Daveric series of F Vees, from builder brothers Dave and Ric.



#309 fbarrett

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Posted 27 December 2009 - 02:33

Yenko had nothing to do with the Crown 'Corv-8' kit, and V8 Corvairs were never homologated for SCCA racing, unless they ran as sports racers. The Yenko Stinger, however, did race in SCCA DP and won a national championship or two, if I'm not mistaken. The Stingers were powered by bored-out versions of the original Corvair flat-six, producing somewhere in the neighborhood of 230-250 hp.


Don't know for sure, but seeing as how a bee carries its stinger in the rear, surely this must have influenced Don Yenko's choice of that moniker?

Frank

#310 fbarrett

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Posted 27 December 2009 - 02:38

SCARAB


I've always seen this explained as being used as a joke; it's the name of an Egyptian dung beetle . . .

Frank

#311 gm914

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Posted 27 December 2009 - 02:52

I've always seen this explained as being used as a joke; it's the name of an Egyptian dung beetle . . .

Frank

Same with the Mitsubishi Pajero. In Spanish you're apparently driving in a "wanker"

#312 chequer57

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Posted 14 January 2010 - 11:43

And the sucvcessful Daveric series of F Vees, from builder brothers Dave and Ric.

Hi Terry

"Daveric" is from David and Eric Marsh see www.daveric.com.au

Edited by chequer57, 14 January 2010 - 11:47.