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Frogeye & dog's bone - cars and their nicknames

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Created on December 12, 2025

Text:

Wolfram Hamann

Photos:

Wolfram Hamann

109

Zwischengas

Bruno von Rotz

Stuart Adams

Wolfram Hamann

109

Zwischengas

Bruno von Rotz

Stuart Adams

112

Frog's eye & dog's bone - cars and their nicknames

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The Volkswagen Beetle, here a late example, the yellow and black racer

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Ferrari 250 SWB Breadvan (1962) - at the Masters Historic Festival 2021 - in the Gentlemen Drivers category

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Citroën 5 HP, probably an inspiration for the tree frog

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Renault 4 CV called cream slice. Here open...

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 called the red sow

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The Moose, the first Mercedes A-Class, here as a rare A160 F1 edition

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Lloyd or Borgward Arabella, nicknamed Aquabella

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Messerschmitt cabin scooter, the cheese bell

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Mercedes-Benz SSKL, known as "the cucumber"

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Opel Rekord P1, also called Bauern-Buick

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Volkswagen Golf I Cabriolet, the strawberry basket

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Alfa Romeo Disco Volante, the flying saucer

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Mercedes-Benz W 113 model series, the Pagoda

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, also known elsewhere as the Gullwing Gullwing

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Alfa Romeo Giulia GT, early example with edge hood

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Iso Grifo 7 Litri with the typical penthouse on the hood

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Headlight unit from Porsche, also known as a fried egg

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Datsun Model Z with "Zuckelschaufelchen"

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Porsche 911 Carrera with spoiler called duck tail

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Oversized spoilers are also known as French fries counters

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Rear of the early Golf I with rail bumpers and dovetail

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Opel Rekord P2 Coupé (1962) - Older Classics May 2022 at Motorworld Kemptthal

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Later MG Midget, like its big brother MGB called Gummiboot because of the large black bumpers

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Slipper door handle on Mercedes Benz C 126

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BMW 1 Series, some call it a pot-bellied pig

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Volkswagen 181, in the USA just "the thing"

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Doors hinged at the rear are referred to as suicide doors

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Steering wheel of the Golf GTI I, often referred to as a spittoon

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Mercedes racing transporter, known as "the blue wonder"

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the Trabbi, also known as the racing car

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Summary

There are countless examples of vehicles that have been given funny nicknames by their fans (or critics). When people in Switzerland talk about a farmer's Ferrari, everyone knows that they are referring to a Subaru.

This article contains the following chapters

Names are not smoke and mirrors!
The shape as a namesake?
The roof...
The front...
...and the rear
Broadside!
And now the interior...
...and the wheels
Color & miscellaneous
A short conclusion

Estimated reading time: 26min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Our readers will know countless nicknames for cars. But the following incident is thought-provoking and was the reason for this article. The author showed a young lady a photo of a Beetle. He had once owned three of them in succession. So, she looks at the photo and says happily: "That's a beetle, isn't it? It's not a duck, is it?" That made me realize that some things are perhaps no longer as obvious as we think. Just as younger people are surprised that there used to be telephones with dials. Some concepts also seem to have disappeared. What purpose might a mudguard have had in the past? And what was the purpose of the windshield or glove compartment?

Welcome to Zwischengas!