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10 Memorable Music Band Names Inspired By Cars

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When picking a name, a musical group has to select a moniker that will stand out among a sea of artists, being unique and off-beat while still being memorable and catchy. It has to stick in listeners’ minds while simultaneously embodying the tone and spirit of the band’s music.

It’s not an easy task, so inspiration can come from anywhere–including from cars. That’s why these bands drew their inspiration from the cars and automotive culture around them.

10 Music Groups That Took Their Names from Automobiles

Relient K Two Lefts album cover music band car

Relient K

A rock/punk band formed in 1998 in Ohio whose name is a purposefully misspelled nod to the guitarist’s Plymouth Reliant K car.

Albums include The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek, Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right…But Three Do, and Mmhmm.


Pantera band album cover car name music

Pantera

A heavy metal band formed in 1981 in Texas whose name comes from guitarist Dimebag Darrell’s car, a De Tomaso Pantera.

Albums include Far Beyond Driven, Reinventing the Steel, and I Am the Night.


REO Speedwagen album cover music band car name

REO Speedwagon

A classic rock band formed in 1967 in Illinois whose name was inspired after the lead singer took a “History of Transportation” class and learned about the REO Motor Car Company’s Speed Wagon truck.

Albums include Hi Infidelity, Wheels are Turnin’, and Ridin’ the Storm Out.


The Cars band album cover music

The Cars

A new wave rock band that formed in 1976 in Massachusetts whose name was suggested by keyboardist David Robinson after the band had struggled to sell itself to multiple record labels under other names.

Albums include Heartbeat City, Panorama, and Shake It Up.


Jesus Chrysler Supercar band album cover car name

Jesus Chrysler Supercar

A rock band formed in 1993 in Arizona whose name pays clever homage to both the Chrysler brand and the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Jesus Christ Superstar.

Albums include Hay Bailer, Latterday Speedway, and Land Speed.


Car Seat Headrest Teens Album Cover music band

Car Seat Headrest

An indie rock group formed in 2010 in Virginia whose offbeat name comes from an often-overlooked but important part of a car’s interior.

Albums include Teens of Style, Teens of Denial, and Monomania.


Galaxie 500 Today album cover art car music name

Galaxie 500

An alternative rock band that formed in 1987 in Massachusetts and was named after a friend’s car, the Ford Galaxie.

Albums include Today, On Fire, and This Is Our Music.


Mord Fustang DJ album song cover car music name

Mord Fustang

A electro-house producer from Estonia born in 1991 uses this tribute to the Ford Mustang as his stage/performing name.

Albums include 9999 in 1, A New World, and All Eyes on Mord Fustang.


Chevelle band cover album art car name

Chevelle

A rock band of brothers formed in 1995 in Illinois whose name was taken from a car they and their father liked: the Chevrolet Chevelle.

Albums include La Gargola, Sci-Fi Crimes, and The North Corridor.


GTOs band cover name car music

The GTOs

Despite the official full name of this late 1960s a capella group being “Girls Together Outrageously,” its abbreviated name is clearly a nod to the Pontiac GTO, which was huge at the time.

Their only album was Permanent Damage.


Diggin Out Surf bands album collection car band names

Plus the numerous surf, doo-wop, and garage bands…

Such as The Valiants, The Road Runners, The Lincoln Trio, The Avantis, The Tempests, The Newport Nomads, The Safaris, The Vistas, Jim Head and his Del Rays, The Mustangs, The Rivieras, The Ferraris, and The Lincolns.