I’m on the road this week, and as I was crossing a Sioux reservation in North Dakota, I was thinking about the many Native American names that have become commonly known parts of our lexicon.
Nowadays, corporate use of proper tribal names or even general references to indigenous peoples is rather a touchy subject, and in the past has resulted I some rather cringe-worthy marketing elements. However, the re-introduced Jeep Cherokee shows it is not quite an extinct practice.
Today your task is to name all the vehicles named (generally or specifically) after Native American (First Nations/aboriginal) people.
Difficulty: Super easy; even the low-hanging fruit could feed us all.
How This Works: Read the comments first and don’t post duplicates. Bonus points for adding photos. Remember, you can simply paste in the raw image URL now, thanks to the magic of Disqus.
Encyclopedia Hoonatica: Native American Names
By Peter Tanshanomi
Jun 22, 2015
By Peter Tanshanomi
Tanshanomi is Japanese [単車のみ] for "motorcycle(s) only." Though primarily tasked with creating two-wheel oriented content for Hooniverse, Pete is a lover of all sorts of motorized vehicles.
Robert Crespo 
Jeff Glucker 
Kamil Kaluski
Two for the price of one, Pontiac Super Chief.
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/68e0x3NWoy4/maxresdefault.jpg
Also Chieftain:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Pontiac_Chieftain.jpg
And Jeep Cherokee Chief
http://drivenwheels.com/wp-content/uploads/chief.jpg
FortChevrolet Apache.http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/1961_Chevrolet_Apache_10_4X4_Front_resize.jpg
Where is that? Queens?
Chevrolet Cheyenne as seen on C/K-10-30, Blazers, and Suburbans.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Chevrolet_Cheyenne_20_1.jpg
Apparently there was also a 1964 Rambler show car called the Cheyenne.
http://www.rokemneedlearts.com/carsindepth/wordpressblog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/AMCRamblerCheyenneCarrousel@1964Web22-500×301.jpg
Jeep loves using native names — the coolest is Comanche
http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2013/12/HS986_001JP.jpg
Dodge Dakota
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/2008_Dodge_Dakota.jpg/1280px-2008_Dodge_Dakota.jpg
Damn it! Beat me while I was Googling.
Oh, well. Here’s the picture I was going to post.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/dakotaconvertible.jpg
I figured the Dakota would be the least obvious of the low-hanging fruit.
Mazda Navajo
http://www.explorer4x4.com/tomr_climb1.jpg
Also the 1976 Alfa Romeo Navajo by Bertone
http://www.car-revs-daily.com/wp-content/uploads/1976-Alfa-Romeo-NAVAJO-Concept-3.jpg
https://www.classicdriver.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/article_images/1976-alfa-romeo-navajo-bertone-13.jpg?itok=yn4JkGEk
http://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/news/gallery/1976-alfa-romeo-navajo-concept-the-33-stradale-s-ugly-cousin_1.jpg
http://www.carstyling.ru/resources/studios/1976_Bertone_Alfa-Romeo_Navajo_interior_03.jpg
Indian motorcycles.
Good excuse to post some Fred Eaglesmith.
I nominate the Pontiac Aztek to be sacrificed.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/x2pn_az04222.jpg
Italdesign used the correct spelling.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.carthrottle.com/workspace/uploads/comments/italdesign-aztec-1988-11-54c3952888d3a.jpg
The Iroquois car, manufactured from 1903-1907
Stutz Blackhawk
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Stutz_Blackhawk_automobile.jpg/640px-Stutz_Blackhawk_automobile.jpg
International Harvester Scout.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/61Scout.jpg
Pontiac is a treasure trove. In addition to the brand name itself, and the aforementioned Super Chief and Chieftain, the Sunbird, Firebird, Phoenix, and Star Chief all have Native American roots.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cb/Trans_Am_Family.jpg
Another two-fer: The HSV Maloo Ute. Maloo is an aboriginal word for “thunder”. Ute is a Native America tribe*.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Holden_Maloo_Utility.jpg/1024px-Holden_Maloo_Utility.jpg
*OK…that last part is a stretch since Ute really is short of Utility, but in this context I can make it work.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_f3fTVkavMVg/THhgfiwJMOI/AAAAAAAADjc/4SMaOqr8u7w/s400/youts.jpg
How about R/C cars (trucks)?
http://www.rccaraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tamiiya-blackfoot.jpg
Ferris Bueller, you’re my hero.
Had a minty original one that I sold to someone in Hungary. Starting to collect old Tamiyas again.
Winnebago
http://ballew.org/winnebago/images/78Chieftain1.jpg
As a brand, yes, but also don’t forget their model names included Brave, Warrior, Indian, and Chieftain.
If we’re including RV’s, how about Chinook?
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5508/13539588084_c0aa1a2dbd.jpg
トヨタ ᏎᏉᏯ https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/01-04_Toyota_Sequoia_Limited.jpg
I just looked this clip up yesterday, and now trying to think of Native American names it’s all I can hear in my head.
What the heck is THAT from?
Looks like it’s from The State, since there’s Michael Showalter, Kerri Kenney-Silver, and Kevin Allison. I don’t remember seeing this before, though.
ETA: Yep, but not aired. http://the-state.com/eps.htm
dead_elvis is correct. It’s probably one of the most obscure things I’ve ever used the internet to find in 15 seconds. The audio is used on a CD called Bastard Music, by the band 12 Cent. I found that CD abandoned on a bar while waiting to see another band and have never been able to find out anything about the band; even their label’s domain name has expired and been taken over by something else, or maybe not.
http://www.punknews.org/bands/12cent
http://www.oldetyme.com/
I found that clip by searching fore the phrase, “Big Chief Running Deer Stewart”, and evidently it’s an un-aired sketch from a show I never watched. I had to read you toob comments just to figure that out.
Reading yootoop comments to bring us this? You really go the last mile, thanks!
Italdesign Nazca C2, one of my favorite cars from Need for Speed 2: Special Edition.
http://www.italdesign.it/media/thumbnails/projectgalleryimage/2014/06/25/d51da_coverimage.jpg.0x497_q85_detail.jpg
Italdesign Ford Maya concept
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LuxxIyzkwQs/UEy8PhQ1MbI/AAAAAAABZu8/9KIaBadEUs0/s800/1986_Ford_Maya_II_ES_ItalDesign_Giugiaro_01%2520-%2520Copy.jpg
Also from Ford (technically) the Escort Mexico, as Mexico is named after the Mexica people (also known, somewhat incorrectly, as the Aztecs)
http://www.sussexsportscars.co.uk/car_images/uploads/2013/05/Escort-2.jpg