A car by any other name would drive as well?
Nearly half of all motorists believe their car is male or female, researchers found while preparing the 2001 RAC Report on Motoring. Twenty-eight percent believed the car was female and 18% female.
Strangely, 26% of those who considered their car female had a name for it but only 16% of `boy cars' were christened.
RAC Foundation consultant psychiatrist Conrad King said naming a motor gives a clue to someone's mental attitude - and chances of an accident.
"Motorists give their cars personal names as a way of creating a distinct identity for themselves that sets them apart from the thousands of others with the same model of car,'' he said.
"The choice of name gives a good indication of the underlying personality and behaviour of the driver. It shows whether they are looking for comfort, power, sex, happiness or long-lost childhood.''
Beth, Bess, Liz or another diminutive of Elizabeth is the top choice for`female cars'. This is thought to be because the names were often given to horses and drivers have switched them to a modern equivalent. There are also associations with royalty, dignity and reliability.
Other common names for cars are Doris, Suzie, Gertrude and Gloria, and Fred and Henry for `boy cars'.
RAC research also found that cars frequently had descriptive names: Braveheart (game but clapped out), Sewing machine (small and underpowered), Victor Meldrew (old and bad-tempered).
According to King, many drivers subconsciously attribute gender to their cars even if they don't go as far as christening them. ``It is a measure of the complexity of the relationship drivers have with their cars,'' he said. ``It indicates the need to have a relationship with what, essentially, is a piece of machinery.''
He said a number of psychological dynamics could be at work when choosing names. Some were an attempt to reflect how people thought of themselves (attractive, dignified or funny) but, in reality, were more likely to indicate the kind of person they wanted to be.
"On a different level, the naming of cars might be considered as an attempt to avoid loneliness and find support, reliability and companionship they are unlikely to find elsewhere.'' FCC