J: Lamborghini Jarama
Like all good Lamborghinis, this Bertone-designed 2+2 grand tourer, launched in 1970 with an eye on cracking the US market, is a load of bull. As has long been a Lamborghini tradition, its name is a reference to fighting bulls: in this case, the Jarama region north of Madrid is renowned for breeding fighting bulls. Ferrucio Lamborghini said the Jarama was his favourite model that his firm had produced. Which is absolutely no bull.
K: Ford F-150 King Ranch
The massive F-150 pick-up is Ford’s best-selling vehicle, and King Ranch is the best-selling model trim on it, mixing luxury touches with cowboy chic. It’s so successful that Ford now offers King Ranch trim on a range of home-market models. But you might not know that King Ranch is a real cattle ranch in Texas, and it’s the biggest in the US. In fact, at 1289 square miles, it’s bigger than Luxembourg. No, really.
L: Daewoo and Pontiac LeMans
There’s a long history of car firms naming models after famous motorsport venues, usually ones at which they have enjoyed some success. Remember when Daewoo and its sometime GM stablemate Pontiac won the Le Mans 24 Hours? Us neither. Come to think of it, we also can’t remember when LeMans was one word, but there you go.
M: Alfa Romeo Mito
Don’t tell the Italian government, but Alfa Romeo has already named a car after Milan. In fact, the MiTo is a tribute to two Italian cities: it’s a portmanteau. Milan-Torino references both the city in which it was designed and the one in which it was built. Incidentally, the car was originally going to be called Junior before Alfa changed its mind. What bizarro reverse world is this?
N: Chrysler New Yorker
Walter Chrysler left his mark on New York with his eponymous Chrysler Building, the world’s tallest when it opened in 1930. So it’s fitting that one of the longest-running models was the New Yorker saloon, launched in 1939. It went through multiple generations until 1996, when it was the oldest nameplate of any US model.
