Top 10+ Lesser-Known Cars Named After Animals

Some cars are named after the person or persons who founded a car company, like the Ferrari Enzo. Some are named after people who were important to the brand or the brand's founders, like the McLaren Senna and Lotus Elise. Others are just odd, like the Honda That's, Daihatsu Naked, and the Mitsubishi Toppo BJ. Interestingly, Jeep once built a sports car and named it after a racing circuit.

However, some car names are inspired by animals strewn across the world. Some live up to the ferocity of the animals they're named after, while others just wear the names of animals with no reason behind the choice. These are 10 cars named after animals.

AMC Eagle

The AMC Has Landed

1982 AMC Eagle Wagon Exterior

The AMC Eagle was a compact, four-wheel-drive car in many body styles. It was the only four-wheel-drive passenger car available at the time produced in the United States. Production began in 1980 and concluded in 1987, with its legacy cemented as a model that predated the modern crossover SUV segment. In the AMC Eagle's lifetime, several noteworthy examples would be introduced, including a two-door convertible called the Sundancer, and at one point, a factory-approved turbo-diesel conversion was offered; however, only seven examples were reportedly created.

Power fed to all four corners, an array of body configurations, and a design allowed for proper off-road application. Interestingly, the AMC Eagle would be used extensively for rallying and would garner a loyal following, but it didn't have much in the way of resembling the animal it shared a name with.

AMG Marlin

The Muscle Car That Got Away?

1967 amc marlin

Initially known as the Rambler Marlin, this fastback model, considered a mid-size luxury vehicle, was the American Motors Corporation's first muscle car; however, it would not live up to the notoriety of the AMC Gremlin. It wasn't enough to contend with the Plymouth Barracuda and the Ford Mustang fastback. It was used to bring more attention to the AMC brand, with dealerships reportedly receiving only a handful of units to increase showroom traffic.

Aside from marketing gimmicks, it was a simple and stylish fastback that, when equipped with a V8 engine, offered commendable performance that complemented its sporty design. The media offered mixed reviews, with some commending its performance while others didn't approve of its styling.

Bill Thomas Cheetah

Hot Stuff and Lightning Quick

1964 chevrolet bill thomas cheetah coupe replica

Like the model following this entry, the Bill Thomas Cheetah was a hardcore sports car with all-American parts and pieces. It was bred to contend with Carroll Shelby's Cobra, which demands a hefty sum at auctions because of its legacy. It looked like the part featuring pronounced and curvaceous proportions. Production ran from 1963 to 1966, and each example of the Cheetah featured a striking fiberglass physique that housed a powerful V8 engine.

However, despite an enticing offering with the on-paper performance to overpower the Shelby Cobra, the Bill Thomas Cheetah was fraught with issues. Overheating the potent engine was one of the main ones, which would only be an even greater nuisance to the driver as hot air would be forced through the vents from the engine bay into the cabin.

De Tomaso Mangusta

The Cobra-Hunting Mongoose

1969 De Tomaso Mangusta Exterior

Carroll Shelby might be one of the greatest and most beloved personalities in the history of performance cars, but he certainly had many people gunning for him and his creations. In the mid-20th century, Shelby and Alejandro De Tomaso collaborated on a project, which would ultimately be a fruitless venture, ending with the two cutting ties and going their separate ways.

This failed partnership resulted in the De Tomaso Mangusta, which, in Italian, means mongoose. The mongoose moniker was chosen for this model because the mongoose is the only animal that eats cobras, and in this context, the De Tomaso Mangusta was bred to contend with the Shelby Cobra. A mid-mounted Ford V8 engine was used to power the sultry Cobra killer and would eventually help establish the brand globally.

Fiat Panda

Like a Comfy Pair of Jeans

1980 Fiat Panda

The Fiat Panda was a bite-sized city runabout that debuted at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show and was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani, who had recently founded Italdesign and would go on to create beguiling designs like the one created for Aston Martin in 2020. Giugiaro was responsible for styling the Fiat Panda, which would debut as a boxy three-door hatchback offered in a white and black color scheme. Giugiaro would compare the Fiat Panda to a pair of jeans because it was a simple and practical car designed around a specific purpose.

At the same time, Mantovani was responsible for the Fiat Panda's mechanical underpinnings. Its minuscule power unit, which only featured two cylinders, produced 30 hp. Even Ferrari had previously used this engine configuration. The Fiat Panda would be kept alive for decades, with its latest rendition being the Fiat Grande Panda unveiled in 2024.

Ford Puma

The Lynx That Became a Puma

Ford Puma

The modern Ford Puma is a standard crossover SUV, but the Ford Puma that preceded it was a three-door coupe based on the Ford Fiesta and built in Germany. When it debuted at the 1996 Geneva Motor Show, it was referred to as the Lynx concept but would be launched a year later at the same motor show.

These models were front-wheel-drive coupes with four seats and powered by a handful of inline four-cylinder engines that weren't anything to write home about. A more hardcore variant of the Ford Puma would debut in 1999, featuring a lot of the tech and hardware used in the Ford Puma racing and rally programs. Only 500 potent coupes were produced, while the standard Ford Puma coupe would end in 2002.

Hudson Wasp

A Merger With a Sting in the Tale

1953 hudson wasp Exterior

Built by the American Motors Corporation and marketed under the Hudson Motor Company, this entry is not to be confused with the Hudson Hornet that inspired Doc Hudson in the film Cars. The Hudson Wasp was a full-size coupe introduced in the early 1950s as an upgraded offering of the Hudson Pacemaker. It was available in a handful of body configurations.

It was founded on the Hudson Motor Company's short wheelbase and the Nash Motor's platform, as a few years before the Hudson Wasp's arrival, Hudson Motor Company and Nash Motors merged. The Hudson Wasp wouldn't last that long because, in 1957, the American Motor Corporation would ax 11 of the 15 models available in the Hudson range, including the Hudson Wasp.

Singer Gazelle

Bucking the Trends

1959 singer gazelle convertible

The Singer Gazelle was a British passenger car created in 1956, with a handful of generations in production until 1970. Singer Motors Limited's work, which should not be confused with Singer Automotive, produces incredible renditions of Porsche's greatest hits. Singer Motors Limited was a British automotive company taken over by the Rootes Group in 1956.

Offered as a saloon, convertible, and estate car, the first and second series of the Singer Gazelle were defined as luxurious passenger cars that utilized an independent front suspension system accompanied by a live rear axle and leaf spring suspension. The Singer Gazelle moniker would remain in place for nearly two decades before the Singer Motors Limited company became defunct.

Stutz Blackhawk

Ruffling Some Feathers

1977 Stutz Blackhawk

Elvis Presley owned a Stutz Blackhawk, reportedly one of his favorite cars. Interestingly, it was the first Blackhawk model to be sold. The Stutz Blackhawk was a luxury car produced from 1971 to 1987 and is in no way related to another model from the 1920s with the same name. This model was a stylish offering from the Stutz Motor Company, with its body designed by the former Chrysler stylist Virgil Exner.

Some noteworthy design aspects were the spare tire from the decklid, a fake radiator chrome grille, its long hood paired, side exit exhausts, and four-round headlights. While the Stutz Blackhawk was a favorite among celebrities, it would also appear several times in pop culture, featuring in shows like Dragon Ball GT and Columbo and even in films like Gone in 60 Seconds and Never Die Alone.

Sunbeam Tiger

It's the Thrill of the... Drive

1967 sunbeam tiger

The Sunbeam Tiger was a high-performance version of the Sunbeam Alpine roadster. Interestingly, Carroll Shelby had a hand in its design and would later go on to create a V8 conversion for the AC Cobra. There were two versions of the Sunbeam Tiger. The first was the Mark 1, produced from 1964 to 1967, powered by a 4.3-liter Ford V8 engine. The second version, dubbed the Mark 2, featured a much larger 4.7-liter Ford V8 engine.

Unfortunately, through no fault of its own, the Sunbeam Tiger would suffer from its manufacturer's declining financial state, among other things. Chrysler would acquire an interest in the company. Still, a model in its ranks powered by a competitor's engine and unable to fit a Chrysler V8 engine was one of the final nails in the Sunbeam Tiger's coffin. Ultimately, production ended in 1967, with just over 7,000 examples produced.