From a marketing perspective, a good name can make or break a product—and there’s no better example than in the sports world. After all, a good team name should convey a sense of capability, strength, and confidence.
…Which are pretty much the same qualities you might look for in, say, an automobile.
So it’s perhaps no surprise to find so much overlap between sports team names and the names of popular cars, trucks, and SUVs. After the short summary list here, we’ll give you plenty of pictures and descriptions within the four major North American sports leagues—and if you can think of any more, let us hear about it in the comments section below.
List of Sports Team Names Shared with Cars & Trucks Summary:
National Hockey League (NHL)
- Buffalo Sabres (Buick LeSabre)
- Colorado Avalanche (Chevy Avalanche)
- Florida Panthers (Ford Panther Chassis)
- Kansas City Scouts (International Scout) – Defunct
- New York Rangers (Edsel Ranger)
- Ottawa Senators (Holden Senator HSV)
- Philadelphia Flyers (Thomas Flyer)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (Ford F-150 Lightning)
Major League Baseball (MLB)
- Colorado Rockies (Daihatsu Rocky)
- Detroit Tigers (Sunbeam Tiger)
- Houston Astros (Chevy Astro Van)
- Kansas City Royals (Dodge Royal)
- Miami Marlins (AMC Marlin)
- New York Mets (Nash Metropolitan)
- Seattle Mariners (Mercury Mariner)
- Tampa Bay Rays (Corvette Sting Ray)
- Texas Rangers (Ford Ranger)
National Basketball Association (NBA)
- Atlanta Hawks (Packard/Studebaker Hawk)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (Chevy Cavalier)
- Charlotte Hornets (Hudson/AMC Hornet)
Charlotte Bobcats (Mercury Bobcat) - Dallas Mavericks (Ford Maverick)
- Houston Rockets (Oldsmobile Rocket 88)
- Indiana Pacers (AMC Pacer)
- L.A. Clippers (Packard Clipper)
- Portland Trail Blazers (Chevy Trailblazer)
- Toronto Raptors (Ford F-150 Raptor)
- Utah Jazz (Honda Jazz/Fit)
National Football League
- Atlanta Falcons (Ford Falcon)
- Carolina Panthers (Ford Panther Chassis)
- Indianapolis Colts (Dodge/Plymouth Colt)
- Denver Broncos (Ford Bronco)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (Jaguar Marque)
- Kansas City Chiefs (Pontiac Road Chief)
- L.A. Chargers (Dodge Charger)
- L.A. Rams (Dodge Ram)
- Las Vegas Raiders (Dodge Raider)
- New England Patriots (Jeep Patriot)
- Philadelphia Eagles (AMC Eagle)
- Tennessee Titans (Nissan Titan)
- Washington Commanders (Studebaker Commander)
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National Hockey League (NHL)
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Buffalo Sabres (Buick LeSabre)
In honor of The French Connection, we’re talking about the Buick LeSabre here. Taking its name from the 1951 GM “Le Sabre” concept car as way to capitalize on the international cachet of the name, the 1959 LeSabre bowed as a coupe, sedan, and a wagon. From there, the LeSabre maintained Buick’s full size footprint until it was downsized in the 1980s, before vanishing entirely after 2005.
Colorado Avalanche (Chevy Avalanche)
Chevy billed the Avalanche as two vehicles in one: a pickup truck and an SUV. And you could say the same thing about the hockey squad from Colorado, because the team originally began in Canada as the Quebec Nordiques before moving to Denver after the 1994 season—but that doesn’t stop Colorado fans from wearing their throwback Forsberg and Sakic Nordiques jerseys.
Florida Panthers (Ford Panther Chassis)
OK, we’re cheating a bit by referring to the “Panther” platform that underpinned the fan favorite Ford Crown Vic and Mercury Grand Marquis—but to be fair, the nickname has been widely adopted by Ford faithful. These body-on-frame sedans had optional V8 power and are darn-near indestructible. Thanks to their use in police, fleet, and taxi duty, there are plenty of used ones around too.
Kansas City Scouts (International Scout)
Sadly, both the team and the SUV weren’t around for very long. The Scouts had a short stint in Kansas City before moving to Denver to become the Colorado Rockies hockey club. A few years later, the team moved again to New Jersey and was rechristened the Devils. Yet hockey lives on in Kansas City with the Mavericks ECHL team…and an electrified Scout is coming back too.
New York Rangers (Edsel Ranger)
Curiously, the Ranger name appears twice on our list and, since the Rangers are an “Original Six” team, we’ll feature the Edsel Ranger this time, as it originally wore the Ranger badge first before it moved over to Ford’s truck line. Sadly, the Edsel Ranger only lasted three years from 1958 to 1960—the same amount of seasons Wayne Gretzky played as a Blueshirt too.
Ottawa Senators (Holden Senator HSV)
This may be a reach, and we’re admittedly snubbing Opel, but GM’s Australian Holden brand offered a sport-tuned version of its Commodore sedan through its performance division, Holden Specialty Vehicles, rebadged as a “Senator HSV”. These cars boast a 6.2L LSA V8 and several other performance-tuned upgrades.
Philadelphia Flyers (Thomas Flyer)
Built in Buffalo, New York, the Thomas Flyer was essentially the Broad Street Bully of the nascent domestic automotive industry. Thanks to their performance and durability, these cars soon earned the name Flyers as they raced ahead of the competition. Sadly, the Thomas Motor Company lasted less than 20 years—which, admittedly, was a longer stretch than Philly’s on-ice dominance during the Bobby Clarke era.
Tampa Bay Lightning (Ford F-150 Lightning)
The F-150 Lightning debuted in 1992 as a 1993 model—which interestingly enough was also the inaugural season of the Tampa Bay Lightning too. The Lightning was Ford’s counterpunch to the newly-minted Chevy 454SS sport truck, and packed a trusty 351W topped with the famed GT40 cylinder heads, along with a host of suspension upgrades.
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Major League Baseball (MLB)
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Colorado Rockies (Daihatsu Rocky)
Colorado baseball fans waited decades for a Major League team to arrive in Denver, but it finally paid off in 1993 with the Rockies expansion team. Off-road enthusiasts waiting for the compact Daihatsu Rocky to arrive in the United States might have to wait a bit longer though, as the Japanese automaker has no immediate plans to sell its 4×4 outside of Japan, Australia, and some other Asian markets.
Detroit Tigers (Sunbeam Tiger)
How does a European Roadster fit into the Motor City? Simple, shove a rip snortin’ Ford V8 under the hood. As you’d guess, Carrol Shelby played a role in the Tiger’s existence, as did his buddy Ken Miles. Sadly, the Tiger’s career was shorter than Dizzy Trout’s tenure in Motown—you can read more about the car’s history here.
Houston Astros (Chevy Astro Van)
The Astros baseball team took its name from the NASA-Houston connection, while GM pulled the Astro name from its concept car playbook, first used in the 1960s. While the Astro was Chevy’s first minivan, Houston’s first MLB team was actually called the Colt .45s—yes, after the pistol. That moniker didn’t last long though, as it was replaced just three seasons later with the Astros name.
Kansas City Royals (Dodge Royal)
In the Dodge lineup, the Royal has been both a standalone model and a trim, used to denote its top luxury option. In Kansas City, the name Royals was picked in homage to a livestock show and rodeo. And while both the team and the rodeo are still going strong (KC notched its second World Series titles a while back), Dodge killed the Royal name off before 1960 arrived.
Miami Marlins (AMC Marlin)
With an inaugural season in 1993, the then-Florida Marlins essentially proved the business case for Major League Baseball in the Sunshine State—paving the way for the Rays a few years later. In a similar vein, the short-lived Marlin showed the AMC bean counters that a sporty coupe is good showroom draw—allowing the potent AMX and Javelin models to come soon thereafter.
New York Mets (Nash Metropolitan)
The N.Y. Mets and the Metropolitan have similar origin stories. The car was designed to fill a need in the market for a budget-friendly economy car in the post-World War II era. The New York Metropolitan Baseball Club was established to fill a need in The Big Apple for a National League team after the Giants and Dodgers both left for the West Coast.
Tampa Bay Rays (Corvette Sting Ray)
Technically the team began as the “Devil Rays” (AKA Manta Rays), but we figured you’d appreciate a classic Corvette more than a German coupe—so yeah, Opel is getting snubbed again. The Sting Ray got its name from the Stingray Racer penned by Peter Brock, but when the C2 generation debuted in 1963 the name was divided as “Sting Ray” before shortening back to “Stingray” for the C3 era.
You may enjoy this article too: A Conversation with Automotive Icon Peter Brock
Seattle Mariners (Mercury Mariner)
Essentially a rebadged version of Ford’s compact Escape SUV, the Mercury Mariner only lasted from 2005 to 2011, when the Mercury brand itself was shuttered. The Mariner’s ignominious fate is sadly reminiscent of the baseball team—which holds the unfortunate distinction of being the only MLB franchise to never appear in a World Series.
Texas Rangers (Ford Ranger)
We already mentioned Edsel, so let’s point out that the Texas Rangers debuted in 1961. Pretty soon after that, Ford began offering a “Ranger” trim level on its trucks starting in the mid-1960s. A coincidence? Probably, but plenty of Texas baseball fans drive Ford trucks, so perhaps not? At any rate, Ford transferred the Ranger name to its new compact truck in 1983, then resurrected it as a midsize in 2019.
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National Basketball Association (NBA)
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Atlanta Hawks (Packard/Studebaker Hawk)
Like many teams on this list, the Atlanta Hawks have existed under several different names. Same deal with the Hawk coupe. Depending on the model, a Hawk could be Studebaker or a Packard—a result of the 1954 Packard buyout. There were a ton of different Hawk models too, notably the Gran Turismo Hawk, Silver Hawk, and Golden Hawk (the latter which came with a 275 hp 352ci Packard V8).
Cleveland Cavaliers (Chevy Cavalier)
This one’s more appropriate than you may realize: A vast majority of all the J-Body Chevy Cavaliers were made in the Lordstown Assembly Plant in northeast Ohio—just a stone’s throw away from the Cavs’ arena in downtown Cleveland. Despite being discontinued in the U.S. in 2005 there are still plenty of these humble FWD econoboxes zipping around the backroads of the Midwest.
You may like this story too: 10 Reasons Why Ohio Might be the Most Important State in U.S. Automotive History
Charlotte Hornets (Hudson/AMC/Dodge Hornet)
Much like the team, there were a few different iterations of the Hornet—starting with the famed Hudson model immortalized in the Pixar “Cars” movie by Reggie Dunlop. And though it now exists as a Dodge SUV, we’re particularly fond of the AMC-era Hornet and its SST and SC/360 performance variants—Oh, and James Bond liked ’em too.
Double Bonus: After some relocation shuffling, the Charlotte NBA team briefly played under the name Bobcats in the early 2000s—which shares a name with the Mercury Bobcat, a badge-engineered Ford Pinto from the 1970s.
Dallas Mavericks (Ford Maverick)
From James Garner to Tom Cruise to Dirk Nowitzki, there have been plenty of famous Mavericks over the years. But our personal favorite is a rear-wheel drive Ford coupe which, thanks to its size and available V8 options, often made it an attractive alternative to the larger Mustangs of the early 1970s and then later, the smaller Mustang II.
Houston Rockets (Oldsmobile Rocket 88)
Alright, technically speaking, these early cars are 88s with a “Rocket” V8. But Oldsmobile leaned heavy into the space race theme with a series of Rocket engines and included Rocket badging on many of its cars during that era. As a result, these cars are often colloquially referred to as “Rocket 88s” so we’ll let this slide. We’re pretty sure Houston picked the name because of its relationship with NASA, though.
Indiana Pacers (AMC Pacer)
Folks say Indiana is known for two things: basketball and car racing. So it’s totally logical that the name would inspire a compact hatchback from Kenosha, Wisconsin. All kidding aside though, the humble Pacer is often regarded as well ahead of its time, with interior space that belied its compact size, along with forward thinking ideas like asymmetrical doors and an integrated safety hoop.
L.A. Clippers (Packard Clipper)
Like the basketball team, the Packard Clipper takes its name from a specific type of sailing ship. The original Clipper model launched before World War II, but in the 1950s, Packard hoped to make it a standalone marque. Sadly, the newly-minted Studebaker-Packard corporation succumbed to financial stress before that plan came to pass.
Portland Trail Blazers (Chevy Trailblazer)
While the team doesn’t get the press of, say, the Lakers or the Knicks, the Trailblazers have been quietly awesome for decades—not unlike the Trailblazer SS and its coveted TBSS LS Intake Manifold. Sure, its easy to talk about tire-shredding Corvettes and Camaros, but thanks to a truck-spec 6.0L LS2 making close to 400 horsepower, the Trailblazer SS could easily cut 14s in the quarter-mile.
Toronto Raptors (Ford F-150 Raptor)
We know—the Raptor is technically a sub-model of several Ford trucks and SUVs, applied to denote high-performance variants. But the word “Raptor” has become so engrained in Ford’s performance lore nowadays, it felt odd to omit it. Fun Fact: The first NBA game in history was played in Toronto by the defunct Toronto Huskies and New York Knicks back in 1946.
Utah Jazz (Honda Fit)
When the professional New Orleans basketball team moved to Utah back in 1979, it kept the name Jazz. But when Honda decided to bring its compact Jazz model to the United States, the Jazz name was ditched in favor of the Fit. The sporty hatch endured in the U.S. market from 2007 to 2020, but the latest generation is still available in global markets as either the Jazz (Europe) or the Life (China).
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National Football League
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Atlanta Falcons (Ford Falcon)
Despite currently playing in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Atlanta Falcons makes us think of this humble Ford compact—one of the vehicles that kickstarted the domestic small car segment in the early 1960s. Offered in coupe, sedan, wagon, and convertible form, it’s easy to forget that the versatile Falcon chassis also underpinned the early Mustang as well.
Carolina Panthers (Ford Panther Chassis)
Sure, we already mentioned the Panther platform with the Florida NHL squad, but we don’t need an excuse to talk about Crown Vics around here. Given their affordability, durability, and versatility, a few Panther Spec-racing classes have sprung up around the United States—if you like the idea of massive body-on-frame sedans tearing around a road course, it’s worth checking out.
Denver Broncos (Ford Bronco)
Based in Denver, Colorado from the very beginning, team owners chose the name Bronco as an homage to the open frontiers of the wild west. For that very same reason, Ford marketing folks chose the name Bronco for its new SUV back in the early 1960s. The Bronco joined the Jeep CJ and International Scout to help grow the off-road 4×4 SUV segment, and it continues to evolve today.
Indianapolis Colts (Dodge/Plymouth Colt)
Many Maryland residents still refer to this team as the Baltimore Colts, as a result of the painful memory of the team’s abrupt departure in the spring of 1984. Perhaps equally confusing is the Dodge Colt…which was also sold as the Plymouth Colt. Built by Mitsubishi and sold in the U.S. as a captive import, it was known elsewhere in the world as a Mirage, Galant, or Lancer too, depending on the year.
Jacksonville Jaguars (Jaguar Marque)
This one actually shares its name with an entire automaker, but we’ll let it slide here (especially if it gives us a chance to share a pic of the iconic E-Type). The car company has been around for over 100 years, which stands in contrast to the Jacksonville, Florida football team—which was founded (along with the Carolina Panthers) in 1995, making it one of the newest teams on our list here.
Kansas City Chiefs (Pontiac Road Chief)
Obviously the Chief (or Chieftain) name has appeared on various Pontiac models over the years in some form or another: Super Chief, Star Chief, Road Chief, and so on. It’s also worth pointing out that there was a Jeep Cherokee Chief submodel during the 1970s as well.
…And just like the refs in the 2022-23 AFC Championship game, we feel the Pontiac division deserves a second chance with GM after it was shuttered in 2010.
L.A. Chargers (Dodge Charger)
From the Duke Boys to Dominic Toretto, the Charger has spent plenty of time on the small and big screen—so it totally makes sense that the beloved Dodge would wind up in Hollywood. Despite evolving into one of the most iconic musclecars of all time, the Charger’s initial mission was to enter the rapidly growing “personal luxury coupe” market occupied by cars like the Ford Thunderbird and Buick Riviera.
L.A. Rams (Dodge Ram)
While it’s now a separate division under the Stellantis mothership, lets not forget that the Ram name was emblazoned on Dodge trucks for decades prior. Even before that, the leaping Ram mascot was seen on hood ornaments and in sales literature stretching back a century. On a similar note, along with a Super Bowl win in 2021, the Rams have a long, storied history that includes St. Louis and Cleveland too.
Las Vegas Raiders (Dodge Raider)
Sort of like the franchise itself (re: Oakland, L.A., Oakland again, Las Vegas), the Dodge Raider actually goes by a few names. It was essentially a rebadged version of the Mitsubishi Pajero, sold as a captive import in the United States under the Dodge brand. Other good examples of Dodge/Mitsubishi badge-engineered specials are the aforementioned Colt, and the Mighty Max truck and Sapporo sport coupe.
New England Patriots (Jeep Patriot)
With a host of top-level players, New England’s pro football team was a dynasty that lasted for decades, not unlike the Jeep brand and its tight grip on the off-road market. While comparing the Patriot to the Wrangler is a bit like comparing Brady to Zappe, the soft-roader Jeep was a respectable seller at the time, before being usurped by the redesigned Compass.
Philadelphia Eagles (AMC Eagle)
The AMC Eagle came in a handful of configurations, but we’re going with the potent SX/4 AWD hot hatch. Much like the football team that bears its name, the AMC Eagle has a devoted fan following—bordering on obsession, if we’re being honest—and the entire Eagle lineup of coupes, sedans, wagons, and hatches have become cult classics since AMC’s demise in the 1980s.
Tennessee Titans (Nissan Titan)
While the Titan itself is made in Canton, Mississippi, Nissan maintains a massive factory in Smyrna, Tennessee that cranks out some of its larger SUV models. So maybe Nissan execs picked the name to honor the Oilers…errr….Titan football franchise that moved to Nashville in 1997? (Fun Fact: The Titans’ stadium was re-named “Nissan Stadium” after it bought the naming rights in 2016.)
Washington Commanders (Studebaker Commander)
The rechristened Washington Commanders took obvious name inspiration from the nation’s President, which coincidentally was another Studebaker model adjacent to the Commander in Stude showrooms. Like the franchise itself, the Studebaker Commander has a long legacy, stretching back to 1927—just beating the team’s inaugural season in 1932, when it played in Boston under the Braves name.
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Bonus MLS Team: Los Angeles Galaxy (Ford Galaxie)
Although many of the Major League Soccer teams use more European-inspired names, there is one worth mentioning: The L.A. Galaxy. And speaking of European-inspired names, Ford actually used the French spelling of Galaxie on its 1957 concept car and it resurfaced again as a trim level on the 1959 Fairlane, before becoming its own model.
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Honorable Minor League Mentions
We don’t want to leave out the farm teams—here are some of our favorites:
- Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL) – A minor league hockey team that shares its name with the Jeep full size truck (and later the Jeep Wrangler-derived midsize truck).
- Calgary Wranglers (ECHL) – A minor league hockey team that borrows a name with the iconic Jeep 4×4.
- Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) – A minor league hockey team that’s also the name of Pontiac’s pony car, the Firebird.
- Charlotte Checkers (AHL) – A minor league hockey team that’s named for the “checking” move in hockey—but is also a marque behind the legendary Taxi Cab and Marathon models.
- Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) – A minor league hockey team that borrows a name from the Ford Torino-derived Mercury Cyclone muscle car.
- Also the Brooklyn Cyclones, baseball affiliate of the NY Mets.
- Cincinnati Stingers (WHL)– A defunct World Hockey League team that inspired a Kia sport sedan.
- Colorado Eagles (AHL) – A minor league hockey team—the Eagle name has been both a marque (e.g. Eagle Talon) and a model (AMC Eagle). Fun Fact: It’s also the name of Dan Gurney’s AAR Race Cars.
- Las Vegas Aviators (AAA) – A minor league baseball team that shares its name with a Lincoln luxury SUV.
- Rio Grande Valley Vipers (NBAG) – A minor league basketball team that shares a name with the legendary Dodge Viper sports car.
- San Jose Barracuda (AHL) – This minor league hockey team shares a name with the first “pony” car, the Plymouth Barracuda—interestingly not named after a horse, but a fish.
- Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) – Another minor league hockey team. This one’s name is shared with Ford personal luxury coupe.
- Toledo Storm (ECHL) – A defunct hockey team named after a Geo captive import sport coupe. Toledo, Ohio is now home to the Walleye hockey club, which unfortunately has yet to spawn a car with that name.
- Tucson Roadrunners (AHL) – A minor league hockey team that shares a name with Plymouth’s iconic muscle car from the 1960s.
- Utica Comets (AHL) – A minor league hockey team that shares its name with the Mercury Comet that debuted in the early 1960s.
- Also the Oklahoma City Comets, AAA baseball affiliate of the L.A. Dodgers.
So, what’d we miss? Should’ve we have included the Chicago/Farmall Cubs? Does the Mako Shark mean San Jose gets the list? Give us an earful in the comments section below.
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