Exploring the Name Origins of the Biggest Car Brands in the UK

One thing most car manufacturers have in common is their distinctive names. After all, who could forget Toyota or Hyundai? The titans of motoring extend their creativity to their models, giving us iconic vehicles that are known across the UK and the world. 

But behind the fame and popularity, what are the stories behind the Audis and the Nissans travelling our roads? In this article, we’ll discover the sometimes surprising name origins of the world’s biggest car brands and models. 

Audi

This long-established German car maker was founded by August Horch in the early 1900s. After getting into difficulties with his previous car company, which had Horch as an integral part of the name, he was not allowed to use his surname for his new company. 

After wracking their brains, Horch and his partners used a bit of linguistic trickery. The name Horch means ‘hear’ in German, and Audi means ‘listen’ in Latin, allowing the company to refer to their founder without getting into trouble. 

BMW

An iconic motoring name, BMW was established in the German state of Bavaria. To pay homage to this local region, BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH. Translated into English, this roughly means the Bavarian Engine Works Company.  

Nissan Qashqai

This unique model name stems from the Qashqai people, a semi-nomadic Iranian tribe who dwell in the mountainous regions of the country. 

Despite being a popular sight on school runs and supermarket car parks, the name was actually selected to reflect the vehicle’s aspiration to be an ‘urban nomad’ for drivers who want the freedom to explore. 

Citroën DS

You don’t necessarily expect a car manufacturer to use a pun in the naming process, but that’s exactly what Citroën decided to do with their DS model. When spoken with French pronunciation, these initials sound like the French word for ‘goddess’, and this memorable play on words has helped to cement its strong reputation. 

Hyundai

There’s a chance you’ve seen the adverts teaching us the proper pronunciation of Hyundai, but do you know the name’s backstory? This car brand was established in South Korea in 1967 by Chung Ju-yung who wanted his country to stake their claim in the automobile industry. 

Roughly translated, the name Hyundai means ‘modernity’ to reflect their aspirations to innovate and progress.  

Toyota Prius

This world-famous Japanese car brand has continuously pushed boundaries since 1937, when they were first established. 

The name ‘Prius’ is Latin for ‘prior’ to reflect the vehicle’s achievement as the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, launched in 1997 as a family car. 

Vauxhall Corsa

The name Corsa comes from the Italian word ‘race’ to evoke a sense of speed. It’s a vehicle that is very familiar to us in the UK, as it’s consistently been one of our country’s best-selling cars. 

Volkswagen Golf

Some sources claim that this unique name was inspired by the German Gulf Stream, but this is now thought to be untrue. The real influence for the name is actually thought to be a horse called Golf, owned by one of the managers! 

Volvo

Founded in 1927, this Swedish company originally made ball bearings. This explains why the name Volvo was chosen, which means ‘I roll’ in Latin. Eventually, the name proved suitable as the company expanded into manufacturing cars, too. 

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