Encyclopedia Hoonatica: Cars Named For Cats

EH-catcars
Over the years, automobiles have been given names intended to conjure up impressions of forcefulness, danger, precision, maneuverability, speed, beauty, independence or self-confidence. And nearly any feline species epitomizes nearly all those characteristics simultaneously. So, it’s no surprise that cat names are a popular naming choice.
Your task today is to list all the cat-related vehicular nomenclature you can. Since there are only so many feline species out there, feel free to go long: model names, brand names, motorcycles, trucks, military vehicles — if it has an engine and moves on a roadway, it’s fair game.
Difficulty: “They’re not as easy as I thought they’d be, Master.”
Don’t make the cat angry: Read the comments first and don’t post duplicates. Adding photos with standard HTML is good, but shrink the big ones with width="500".
Image Source: mclellansautomotive.com, howstuffworks.com.

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  1. Eric Rood Avatar
    Eric Rood

    Dibs on the easy one.
    <img src="http://www.lotusespritturbo.com/De_Tomaso_Pantera_GT4.jpg&quot; width="600">

    1. Eric Rood Avatar
      Eric Rood

      And because I had to stumble across it, so too must you see this:
      <img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3114/2316296317_dfcf95b569.jpg&quot; width="500">

      1. r_toaster Avatar
        r_toaster

        I hope it was a lasagna delivery vehicle.

        1. NotJustDucky Avatar
          NotJustDucky

          Not available on Mondays.

    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      Only appropriate for the heppest of hep cats…

  2. buzzboy7 Avatar
    buzzboy7

    <img src="http://www.fahrzeugbilder.de/1024/vw-iltis-ehemals-bundeswehr-42452.jpg&quot; width="600">
    VW Iltis, or Polecat, which isn't actually a type of cat.

  3. Drzhivago138 Avatar
    Drzhivago138

    Because I'm not here to give the obvious choice: All of Steiger's models.
    <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/STEIGER_PANTHER.jpg&quot; width="600">
    Besides the flagship Panther, there was the Lion, Cougar, Puma, Tiger, Wildcat, and Bearcat.

    1. GTXcellent Avatar
      GTXcellent

      Must be something about manufacturers in NW Minnesota towns with 3 word names – Red Lake Falls for Steiger, and Thief River Falls for Arctic Cat's Wildcat/Bearcat/Jag/Cheeta/Puma/etc.
      <img src="http://www.snowmobile.com/gallery/gallery.php/d/13843-4/MT_CAT_199901.jpg?g2_GALLERYSID=TMP_SESSION_ID_DI_NOISSES_PMT"&gt;

      1. ptschett Avatar
        ptschett

        Meanwhile, on the other side of the Red River, Melroe Manufacturing Company went from producing a machine called Bobcat (which originated in a blacksmith shop in Rothsay, MN) to renaming themselves Bobcat.
        <img src="http://bobcatmanualpdf.com/img/Bobcat-All-Wheel-Steer-Loader-Manual-PDF.jpg&quot; width="500">

        1. Drzhivago138 Avatar
          Drzhivago138

          So Bobcat is what city slickers call these as a genericized trademark, right? I've only ever called them "skid loaders" on the farm, even if they are Bobcat brand.

          1. Devin Avatar
            Devin

            It might be more regional than rural/city divide. I know they were called Bobcats by most of the farmers I grew up around, though they tended to be called skid loaders when someone had close ties to a dealership selling a competing brand.

          2. ptschett Avatar
            ptschett

            I think Bobcat Company is still holding their own at controlling the name, but they have had some close calls in some countries. I worked in their skid-steer loader engineering department from '04-'08 and my recollection from the older employees' stories is that they came very close to losing control of the Bobcat name in Australia in the '80's.

  4. SpiroAgnew76 Avatar
    SpiroAgnew76

    <img src="http://carphotos.cardomain.com/images/0015/99/66/15369966_large.jpg&quot; width="600">
    Mercury Lynx

    1. Prince Halibrand Avatar
      Prince Halibrand
  5. PotbellyJoe ★★★★★ Avatar
    PotbellyJoe ★★★★★
      1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
        Peter Tanshanomi

        Maybe I can help…
        <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/Puma_GTS_1979.jpg/640px-Puma_GTS_1979.jpg&quot; width="500">
        HINT: Stuff from Wikipedia is never hot-blocked.

        1. karonetwentyc Avatar
          karonetwentyc

          imgur.com also does not block hotlinking and is good for drive-by (no pun intended) image hosting.

        2. PotbellyJoe ★★★★★ Avatar
          PotbellyJoe ★★★★★

          YEah, I grabbed the same image as him, and it posted, but I think it posted only for me. Screw 'em. Thanks for the embed.

          1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
            Peter Tanshanomi

            As a bonus, the steel-blue car behind it in the Wikipedia shot is the Karmann Cheetah!
            <img src="http://www.italdesign.it/media/thumbnails/projectgalleryimage/2014/06/25/6c3df_coverimage.jpg.0x497_q85_detail.jpg&quot; width="500">
            http://www.italdesign.it/en/projects/bmw-karmann-

      1. PotbellyJoe ★★★★★ Avatar
        PotbellyJoe ★★★★★

        Good, an Archer fan.
        <img src="http://i.imgur.com/6MnPp.gif"&gt;

      2. cosme Avatar
        cosme

        GTA V has a jaguar like brand named Ocelot!
        <img src="http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140331131459/gtawiki/images/d/d1/OcelotF620-Front-GTAV.png&quot; width="600">

  6. HycoSpeed Avatar

    Legitimate answer, Sunbeam Tiger!
    <img src="https://autogaragem.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/sunbeam-tiger-v8.jpg&quot; width=600>
    Also an answer of sorts, Siamese Car Racing!
    <img src="http://albums.photoonweb.com/3/3trp/2012-05-26_SIAMESE_CAR/images/LOPIK120526-siamese-4023.jpg&quot; width=600>

  7. PotbellyJoe ★★★★★ Avatar
    PotbellyJoe ★★★★★
    1. Devin Avatar
      Devin

      <img src="http://a.imageshack.us/img691/9179/panthersix1.jpg&quot; width="500">
      Panther shows up a lot…

  8. karonetwentyc Avatar
    karonetwentyc

    No mention of Jaguar yet? Really thought that they would have been the first to be named.
    <img src="https://i.imgur.com/ynxfPaA.png"&gt;

    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      No, I fully expected this to be the first comment.

    2. jeepjeff Avatar
      jeepjeff

      I was hoping this:
      <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/SS_Jaguar_1.5Litre_%281937%29_%2814268238138%29.jpg/800px-SS_Jaguar_1.5Litre_%281937%29_%2814268238138%29.jpg&quot; width=500>
      Would be the first Jaguar posted. It's the SS Jaguar made by SS Cars Ltd. of the UK. Now, that car is from the mid-30s. There was a bit of a fluff over there and the letters 'SS' gained some, uh, less than desirable associations, so the company renamed itself after one of its car models. So the company is named after the car which is named after the cat.

      1. Vairship Avatar
        Vairship

        And nobody is forced to swallow sidecars anymore!

  9. karonetwentyc Avatar
    karonetwentyc

    The Peugeot 607 Féline:
    <img src="https://i.imgur.com/2Lbc4wt.png&quot; width=500>

  10. Juliet C. Avatar
    Juliet C.

    Stutz Bearcat.
    {Too lazy to find picture}

    1. mdharrell Avatar

      The bearcat is a civet rather than a cat, so really the car was named after something that was itself named after a cat.
      And a bear.

      1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
        Peter Tanshanomi

        "Bearcat" was also authentic frontier gibberish an Old West colloquialism for mountain lions and sometimes wolverines.
        <img src="http://www.nwmissouri.edu/Admissions/pride/athletics/Bearcat/480×320.jpg"&gt;

        1. tiberiusẅisë Avatar

          Bonus for the Blazing Saddles reference.

      2. Vairship Avatar
        Vairship

        And so named by a rather grum man (assuming glum + grim = grum).
        <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/F8F_Bearcat_%28flying%29.jpg&quot; width=500>

    1. NotJustDucky Avatar
      NotJustDucky

      Slightly different Cheetah
      <img src="http://i.imgur.com/67k5Vrt.jpg"&gt;

  11. Devin Avatar
    Devin

    <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/MatraSimcaBagheera.jpg/280px-MatraSimcaBagheera.jpg&quot; width="500">
    The Matra Bagheera is named after a specific cat.

      1. Devin Avatar
        Devin

        That's the one.

        1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
          Peter Tanshanomi

          Did anybody ever name a concept car Baloo?
          No? Well, they should have.

          1. Devin Avatar
            Devin

            It would be a good entry-level trim line, since Baloo only needs the bear necessities.

  12. mdharrell Avatar

    <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2496/3741192563_07626ec739.jpg&quot; width="500">
    Reliant Kitten. The car built to be not a Reliant Robin.

    1. 1977chevytruck Avatar
      1977chevytruck

      "….intended to conjure up impressions of forcefulness, danger, precision, manoeuvrability, speed, beauty, independence or self-confidence."
      I think you just proved Mr. Tanshanomi wrong.

  13. mike Avatar
    mike

    The Lynx Eventer, itself a modified Jaguar XJS. Yo dawg…
    <img src="http://files.lynxeventer.webnode.com/200000404-d8350da289/The%20Lynx%20Eventer%20Page%202+3.jpg&quot; width="600">

    1. cosme Avatar
      cosme

      His main competitor the toyota soarer had for emblem a mythical cat.
      <img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VhM2u3PH5uk/UbWzHwNAjyI/AAAAAAAACRk/uVLecrnvTwo/s1600/b0079_soarerz20_15_.jpg&quot; width="600">

  14. mike Avatar
    mike

    Puma GTV kit car, powered by either a Beetle engine or an Alfa Romeo boxer.
    <img src="http://www.busbusnet.com/Public/data/silvio90/2009127214239_Puma-GTV.jpg&quot; width="600">
    <img src="http://www.lanciaflavia.it/public_old_foto/img-1234303848.jpg&quot; width="600">

    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      So, in other words, it's a kit cat?
      <img src="http://giveitlove.com/wp-content/uploads/Lion-Cat-Halloween-Costume.jpg"&gt;

  15. mdharrell Avatar

    <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2564/4075054761_95ccc0d5fa.jpg&quot; width="500">
    The FMR Tg500, which is neither a Messerschmitt nor a Tiger, so of course is widely known as the Messerschmitt Tiger.

    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      They made it out of Legos?

      1. NotJustDucky Avatar
        NotJustDucky

        I'm pretty sure that's from Call of Duty: Tetris

    1. Irishzombieman☆ Avatar
      Irishzombieman☆

      New meaning to the old term "roll bar".

  16. mdharrell Avatar

    <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5181/5853890106_91f72b96cc.jpg&quot; width="500">
    The Lectric Leopard. There's one not far from my house.

    1. cosme Avatar
      cosme

      This renault 5 looks like it was bagged, And it's electric! Pretty awesome!

      1. Wildcat_445 Avatar
        Wildcat_445

        Awesome until you reach the limits of that extension cord hanging out the rear. 😀

  17. Manic_King Avatar
    Manic_King

    The Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard ("anti-aircraft cannon tank Cheetah", better known as the Flakpanzer Gepard)
    <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Gepard_1a2_sideview.jpg/1024px-Gepard_1a2_sideview.jpg&quot; width="666"> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flakpanzer_Gepard

    1. Jeff Avatar
      Jeff

      Did not know that mechanized anti-aircraft guns existed. Is there anything that the German Army hasn't hooned?

    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      Well, isn't that just a Dorbyl.

  18. Naengmyeon Avatar
    Naengmyeon

    Caracal CR (doesn't move on a roadway but does move on pavement)
    <img src="http://www.fvsilverbullet.com/images/browsky2Cr.jpg&quot; />

  19. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Mercury Cougar ?

  20. Irishzombieman☆ Avatar
    Irishzombieman☆

    "Panther" has been mentioned three times so far, but none in reference to this:
    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/ZGrptIH.jpg&quot; width=500>

    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      Actually, you're about two hours late.

      1. Irishzombieman☆ Avatar
        Irishzombieman☆

        DOH! Scrolled down before all the pictures loaded.
        <img src="http://i.imgur.com/McGgowL.jpg&quot; width=200>

      1. cosme Avatar
        cosme

        As the other picture doesn't seams to work, there is an another Panhard tiger
        <img src="http://p9.storage.canalblog.com/95/70/570736/75364862.jpg&quot; width="600">

  21. Prince Halibrand Avatar
    Prince Halibrand

    <img src="http://blogs.cars.com/.a/6a00d83451b3c669e201a73de22a1a970d-pi"&gt;
    Here's a Tiger…and a pussy!

    1. Prince Halibrand Avatar
      Prince Halibrand

      But the Tiger Adventure Vehicle is a good answer too no?

  22. OA5599 Avatar
    OA5599

    I see that individual Mercuries have been mentioned, but not the brand's advertising tagline, "at the sign of the cat".
    [youtube GzbfJpIrKuw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzbfJpIrKuw youtube]

    1. Wildcat_445 Avatar
      Wildcat_445

      Many decades ago, when I was just a wee Wildcat myself, I recall going to either the Detroit Auto Show, or Autorama, and Mercury would have one of their signs up on a platform, along with a real, live cougar, just like in the commercials.

  23. NotJustDucky Avatar
    NotJustDucky

    How about a special edition car named after a sports team named after a cat?
    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/XxLhh38.jpg"&gt;
    The 1968 Bengal Charger

    1. sunbeammadd Avatar

      The Sunbeam Cheetah was succeeded by the Peugeot 205 Cheetah and Peugeot 309 Cheetah but I haven't managed to dig up photos of those.

      1. cosme Avatar
        cosme

        What was that an south america special? I have never heard about SunBeam Peugeot Chettah.

        1. sunbeammadd Avatar

          The Cheetahs were built by a Rootes/Talbot/Peugeot dealer in the UK called Stag Hill Motors. Stag Hill Motors was factory owned so these are semi-works models. The Sunbeam Cheetah offered performance comparable to a Sunbeam Lotus but sold for less.

    1. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      That's just named after a guy named Leon <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Trotsky_Portrait.jpg&quot; width=500>

  24. karonetwentyc Avatar
    karonetwentyc

    Held off on posting this one to see if anyone else came up with it; honestly somewhat surprised that it hasn't been named yet.
    The Ford Pinto's Mercury equivalent, the Bobcat:
    <img src="https://i.imgur.com/aAhvmJY.jpg&quot; width="500/">

    1. marmer01 Avatar
      marmer01

      There was a picture of a red one in the original article at the top of the page right next to a Buick Wildcat.

      1. karonetwentyc Avatar
        karonetwentyc

        Weird, now I'm seeing it. I don't know if I just glossed over it initially or if something else happened, but I am curious about the following:
        Am I the only one who has issues with the site loading properly? A lot of the time I'll be served a partially-complete page, noticeable because it'll stop loading mid-sentence in a reply or the article body and random images will be missing.

  25. Wildcat_445 Avatar
    Wildcat_445

    Loves me some Buick Wildcats…as my user ID would indicate. We had a '65 4-door sedan, in white–it was probably one of our favorite cars we ever had while I was growing up. "Wildcat 445" was the engine–basically 445 ft lbs. of torque (not displacement, as many assumed). I have a preference for that '65 (the coupe version at the top of this page), or the '67. The engine debuted I think in 1959 or 1960, and Wildcat became a custom trim level for the Invicta in the early 60s before it became its own model. The name reappeared on a concept vehicle, and sadly, was later appropriated for some lame Buick Century Custom as a badge-and-trim package in 1999. The Wildcat 445 engine was 401 cubic inches of nailhead goodness. 1966 saw a 425 cu.in. version, including one special package that featured two 4-bbl carbs. (Those 'cats are very rare.)
    I'd give my left nostril to have a restored '65 or '67 convertible…and the money to buy one.
    1967:
    <img width="500" src="http://barrettjackson.com/staging/carlist/items/Fullsize/Cars/21785/21785_Front_3-4_Web.jpg"&gt;
    1965 from the front:
    <img width="500" src="http://barrettjackson.com/staging/carlist/items/Fullsize/Cars/133203/133203_Front_3-4_Web.jpg"&gt;
    The idea behind the Wildcat was the larger Electra 225 engine in the slightly smaller LeSabre chassis. "The Banker's Hot Rod" was one nickname for it.

  26. Ate Up With Motor Avatar
    Ate Up With Motor

    Would the Cat-Bus from My Neighbor Totoro count?