Little yellow duck? These are the craziest car names from the Shanghai Motor Show
Asian brands and car names are not a happy combination. We didn’t see them as crazy as the Geely Beauty Leopard at the 2023 Shanghai Motor Show, but we did come across a few strange type designations.
If you make a list of the weirdest and funniest car names of all time, ninety-nine percent of them are from Japan, South Korea, or China.
Craziest car names in Asia
Maybe it has to do with the fact that English is difficult for some Asians. Even the China Eastern Airlines in-flight magazine is full of strange English translations. Then you’d have to see this by a British copywriter, you’d think. But no…
And apparently it’s the same with cars. Otherwise we wouldn’t have had gems like the Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard, the Daihatsu Naked, the Honda LaGreat and the Honda That’s.
Anyway, let’s head to the Shanghai Motor Show, where Chinese automakers are showing they could overtake Western competitors very soon. And yet we encountered strange model designations.
Geely foreword
Cool car to look at, but judging by the name, where’s the rest? Because when we translate Geely Preface to English, it says Geely Preface.
Hyundai Mufasa
Not a Chinese brand, but a Korean model for the Chinese market. The Hyundai Mufasa is brand new and will be launched this year. Let’s just hope a competitor named Scar doesn’t come along to unseat him (seen the Lion King?).
Tank 300
Tank is a sub-brand of Great Wall Motors focused on SUV models. We get it: the word “tank” makes you think unyielding and invincible. It’s hard to tell from our photo, but the Tank 300 looks a lot like the Ford Bronco.
Arcfox Kaola
If you google Arcfox Kaola, the search engine will correct you automatically. Because shouldn’t it be called Arcfox Koala? You’d think so, especially given the koala bear above the type designation, but no…
Geely Panda Mini Little Yellow Duck Limited Edition
Just kidding right? You can’t really buy this Geely Panda Mini Little Yellow Duck Limited Edition, can you? think again This special version of the hilariously fun Geely Panda Mini is actually for sale, including a What the Duck! sticker on the side.
Ora Ballet Cat
We’ve already talked about this shameless Beetle rip-off, the sexiest car ever made. But of course the name is just weird: Ballet Cat. Oh, there’s a Funky Cat too.