Colorful Filipino nicknames for iconic car models

Filipinos love giving nicknames. From the bunso, the eldest sibling, the furry family member, and even the family ride. Why? Well, the said practice provides a feeling of familiarity with the subject of the nickname. It may also stand as a convenient stand-in during the usual lightning-fast conversations of Pinoys. 

But speaking of cars, the Philippine car scene also has a lineup of interesting nicknames for iconic models of yore. And, of course, some of them are in the Filipino language.

So, in celebration of August as the national  “Buwan ng Wika” (National Language Month), let's check out some of the aforementioned cars that were given colorful Filipino language monikers.

Kotseng Kuba/Pendong

One of the more famous Filipino language nicknames for a car is, of course, the ever-endearing “kotseng kuba” (hunchback car), which refers to various versions of the equally well-known Volkswagen Beetle.

It is a popular term for the car as it was a part of the Pinoy version of the global “punch bug” phenomenon.

In the said game, kids (or the young at heart) will yell “pendong” when spotting a Volkswagen Beetle. The aforementioned is then followed by a playful (hopefully) trade of punches.

To note, the last Beetle to have been sold in the Philippines was the New Beetle, which was also the same version that marked the end of production for the said nameplate. 

The last Beetle to have rolled off the factory line was made at the Volkswagen plant in Puebla, Mexico, back in 2019, and it was a coupe model in Denim Blue.  Propelling the car was a 2.5-liter gasoline engine with a maximum output of 148 horsepower (hp) and 228 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque. 

The iconic Beetle, as we know it, was produced until 2003. The last one was also rolled out in Puebla, Mexico, and used a 1.6-liter fuel-injected gasoline engine. Interestingly, late model versions of the old Beetle were also available with a ZF limited-slip differential. 

Chedeng

Another car nickname you might have heard if you are of the “lolo” or “tito” age is “Chedeng.” The said name was used for old models of Mercedes-Benz, like the 170 SD, the 180D, the 200 D, and later in the 1980s, the W123 range. 

Why Chedeng? Well, the said name was a popular nickname for women named “Mercedes,” which is quite fitting. And of course, the aforementioned pairs well with the fact that most male car owners like to affectionately give their rides a female persona. 

In current times, the “Chedeng” nickname might not be as prevalent, even among car enthusiasts. However, Mercedes-Benz as a brand has remained strong in the local luxury car market. 

Some of its most notable releases in the Philippines include the following: 

• V-Class Elegance
• E-Class plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV)
• GLC 350e PHEV
• EQE
• Facelifted CLA
• Facelifted GLB

Other stories: Geely rolls outs first major upgrades for EX5 Foodpanda riders get P10/L price cuts in Caltex stations You are looking at the upcoming Mitsubishi Xpander for PH market

Macho Machine

The Toyota Corona Coupe, which was sold locally from 1979-1982, was colloquially known by spotters, enthusiasts, and even their owners as the “Macho Machine,” with a few even shortening the name to just “macho.” 

For the unaware, the term “macho,” means showing pride in one’s masculinity. Which is, of course, quite appropriate since the car was closely associated with Robert Jaworski - a six-foot-tall Filipino professional basketball player known for his commanding presence in Philippine Basketball Association games of yesteryears. 

But to be more specific, Jaworski worked closely with Toyota to promote the Corona Coupe locally. And yes, he had a legendary stint playing for the Toyota Super Corollas team, which had a legendary (testosterone-filled) rivalry against the equally famous Crispa Redmanizers.

Sure, the word "macho" isn't Filipino, but the origin of the name for the Corona Coupe is just too "Pinoy" to ignore. 

As for the car that bore the Macho Machine name, it was equally brusque-looking as well. Contrary to the smooth and sleek Corona sedan sold in Japan today, the one sold locally from 1979 to 1982 had the aura of an American pony car.

Specs-wise though, the Toyota Corona Coupe doesn’t sound too impressive, especially when compared to modern-day cars. For starters, its 2.0-liter mill could churn out a mere 84 hp. Other markets did get the 4A-GE (of Toyota AE86 fame) later in 1983, but unfortunately, those didn’t reach the Philippines. 

Darna

The Toyota Tamaraw FX, sold locally in the early 1990s, was also known by the nickname: Darna.

Similar to the Macho Machine, the said utility vehicle also received the said nickname through marketing activities and advertisements. The Toyota Tamaraw FX, at the time, after all, was promoted with the aid of the homegrown superhero. 

Nowadays, Toyota’s next-generation Tamaraw has a superhero-worthy origin story of its own. First, it started as an offshoot of the popular Innovative International Multi-purpose Vehicle platform (IMV). Fast forward to the present, and Toyota Motor Philippines and Toyota Gazoo Racing are now gearing up to introduce a next-gen Tamaraw one-make race series. 

Bigote

Like the examples mentioned above, the Filipino language nickname for a particular car is backed up by interesting lore. But in the case of the Honda Civic sold LXI/VTI sold locally from 1996-1998, it was simply named “bigote” for its distinctive grille designs, which resembled a mustache. 

For the Honda Civic VTI variant, its mechanical bits consisted of a 1.6-liter D16Y5 engine that could push out 125 hp and 148 Nm. It was, however, overshadowed in terms of performance by its more powerful Honda Civic SiR. 

As a side note, the Civic SiR was sold at around the same time as the Civic  LXI/VTI, but its 2.0-liter B16A mill was certainly beefier. It had a 160 hp and 160 Nm churn. And yes, it also lacked the “bigote” grille mouldings. 

Oner

The name “oner” is a uniquely Filipino name for a uniquely Filipino invention. Specifically, it refers to the type of Jeep-derived custom-assembled vehicles that are privately operated as passenger vehicles. In other words, it is a name that has stuck with the said vehicle type to distinguish it from the passenger utility vehicle-type jeepneys that still roam local streets. It is also a mispronunciation, or rather, a “language drift” of the word “Owner.”

Do note, though that oner type jeeps do not have a singular design or a set of standardized specifications. Sure, most of these rides come in five-seater forms, but many can have open tops, and are powered by either Toyota 4K engines, Isuzu diesel engines, or even Mazda RF diesel engines. 

Some builders of oner type jeeps also opted to keep the original spirit of the Jeep by giving their builds knobby tires and a generous amount of ground clearance. Most, however, tend to set up their units with car-like stances for better handling on the road. And yes, most also come with unpainted stainless steel bodies for extra pizzazz. 

Final thoughts

Those are just some of the most interesting Filipino nicknames for iconic cars we’ve found. We are sure that there are more that we didn’t include, but do let us know which one is your favorite, or which one is the most nostalgic for you. 

Also read:

Vehicles named after indigenous tribes

To conserve and protect: car brands in PH and their conservation projects

Ford Model T: WWI hero

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