You may recall the Firebird shown above is actually a Skybird, Pontiac’s cringe attempt to make a Firebird just for ladies. That’s a whole lotta powder blue. In addition to other ill-advised “lady car” attempts, the Skybird got me thinking about all the bird-named cars out there, and here we are with today’s Ask.
Answer the bird question any way you like. Tell me about your favorite bird names, even if the car isn’t that great. Tell me about the actually-good cars you like that are named for birds. Cars that seem to be bird-named for no good reason? Also fair game.
I’m also down to talk about the cars that go full bird, if you will. For example: the Eagle Talon. It’s a bird and part of a bird! I wish this had caught on as a car-naming trend, if only because Toucan Beak would be a great name for a minivan.
I’m also a big fan of less-badass-sounding bird names. This serious-looking banana is the Aspark Owl, a much more interesting name than something more try-hard like Alpha Fulcrum or Testicular Fortitude.
How about bird cars from TV, film, or comics? For sure! Let’s not sleep on Condorman’s Condormobile (a modified Sterling Nova kit car a hood-bird that puts the Bandit’s Trans-Am to shame):
Keep it going, I look forward to your bird-car shout outs in the comments!
Top graphic image: Mecum Auctions
I gotta give a shout out to the lesser known of the Pontiac bird cars…. the Pontiac GOOOSE. ;-P
How about the Bluebird and the Toyota Starlet and the Suzuki Swift
I like how so many of the birds that become car names are not, in fact, real birds. Sunbird, Phoenix, Thunderbird…I could go on at least two more names. Of course there’s the Hawk (Studebaker) which isn’t terribly specific and also the Eagle – two excellent names from defunct brands, surely someone is ready to pick up those monikers and attach them to something new and exciting, right?
Right?
While I’m most drawn to the 4th Gen (’64-’66) Thunderbird convertibles – I also have a soft spot for the ’67-’69 Thunderbird Fordors.
I spotted one of those parked in Knoxville TN a few years ago. First time I’d ever seen one. Tried to submit it to Jalopnik’s Parked on the Street feature, but apparently it didn’t make the cut.
I like everything mentioned so far. In fact it’s starting to get difficult to come up with things.
The Mustang isn’t named after a bird…but it is, in part, named after an airplane…
There’s Aston’s little goose, the Cygnet, which is unfortunatjuely related to the Toyota IQ. Ford’s Falcon (I personally like the FG/FGX) the sometimes supercharged Studebaker Lark, the AMC Eagles which spawned the entire Eagle brand…
Getting into the realms of fiction, BeamNG’s equivalent of Hellcat Dodges is the Bruckell Bastion Redtail. The entire Civetta brand is named after the Italian word for “Little Owl.” But the most famous bird related name from that game?
Pigeon. The three (or four) wheeled, fiberglass bodied pickup, the Ibishu Pigeon. And since someone built a (slightly downscaled) driveable replica in real life…counts? If not, at least it takes inspiration from a real life 3-wheeled, fiberglass machine named after a bird…
Let us not forget the adorable Mitsubishi Silver Pigeon scooter.
Good on you because I did forget about that Pigeon.
Ford Falcon Sprint.
https://www.theautopian.com/the-legendary-v8-falcon-sprint-made-the-mustang-possible-then-the-mustang-killed-it/
I really like the looks of the early Falcons.
Give me a CTR “Yellowbird” and I’ll drive it right to the auction house with a stop at every racetrack along the way for a little shakedown.
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…..I wonder hahaha I will give you one guess.
But if selecting a specific type of birdish name that isn’t just firebird. I will going with a 91-92 Firehawk that or a LS1 version (99-02)
Thunderbird 1958 through 1960, but only in a hardtop. Convertibles are nice too, but the styling of a hardtop always makes me stop for a 2nd look. And the view of the front grill & headlights too. In black or red.
Had an Eagle Premier ES long ago that was without a doubt the worst pile of excrement I ever owned. Keep in mind that I once bought a 1970 FIAT Berlina for $250 and it had no brakes and ran on 3 cylinders and the FIAT was a better car than that Eagle!
RUF yellowbird
I had a 93 Eagle Talon ES, my first manual and loved it for the 150k miles I kept it, some on the second engine.
Ex wife had a Sunbird when I met her in 93, it was …fun for a bit.
Dad had a 71 Roadrunner from new and he never let me forget I threw up on the white interior when I was about 5 years old. I’m now 59. Probably my favorite bird car.
Mid-1950’s Mercedes Benz 300 SL with gull wing doors.
Nissan Bluebird
Does chitty chitty bang bang count? It flies!
Works for me.
Reliant Robin!
Or Ford Raptor for a DD.
I did really want an eagle Talon TSI AWD at one time.
Best bird for me is still a Plymouth Roadrunner. Basic 383 is fine, though a 1970 440 with a grabber hood, Disc Brakes and a 4 speed manual was the halcyon days of the Plymouth muscle opportunity for me.
I’ve always loved the Studebaker Hawk!
Buick Skylark
Mercedes “Gullwing,” anyone? Or do nicknames not count?
COUNTS
OK, how about the Spruce Goose? Technically a car, since it barely flew. I mean, “The General Lee” flew better, based on the six-year documentary about its owners.
The Goose was a seaplane. It had no wheels. Technically it’s a boat. Maybe a Hydroplane or Ekranoplan, though.
This puts me in mind of John Teti’s football write-ups for the old AVClub wherein he’d break out the win probability in upcoming games by mascot category, like Birds (Seahawks, Eagles, Ravens) vs Cats (Jaguars, Panthers, Lions) vs Humans (Steelers, Bucaneers, 49ers). That’d be a fun/completely pointless race series: Cougar vs Firebird vs The Judge, etc?
Eagle Talon really is peak. Cannot be beat. Roadrunner a close second because it’s not even a majestic bird, but still iconic.
I’m middle aged and I still smile seeing the Looney Tunes graphics on the air cleaners of Plymouth Roadrunners.
One word: Thundercougarfalconbird
Sooo many eagles.
57 Thunderchicken is ok.
That looks like a job for the Bishop.
[Philly accent] go birds.
Can motorcycles count too? B/c Street Hawk for the win. 300 mph!
The Honda Hawk was a great bike.
COUNTS
If we are doing motorcycles, Hayabusa has to be up there.
Pontiac Bonneville, of course…
https://www.theautopian.com/how-would-you-rather-stand-out-1991-pontiac-bonneville-vs-2006-hummer-h3/
What’s the bird connect? The Bonneville is named after the salt flats which is named after a dude.