Can You Name the Car Featured in These Hit Songs?

AUTO

By: Steven Symes

6 Min Quiz

Image: WhiteWedding111

About This Quiz

Are you a car and music nut? Do you keep a playlist of driving songs ready to go on your phone? 

If you do, there are plenty of good ones from which to choose. After all, Americans love their cars, and it shows in the songs we've popularized. These tunes run the range of genres, including rock and roll, rap, blues, country, pop, and more. People of all walks of life like to reference how much they enjoy a specific vehicle, an experience they had while driving their car, or other things tied to a vehicle. Some songs just talk about traveling by car and the emotions involved with that journey. 

While plenty of songs that reference cars or driving don't name a specific vehicle, many do. Then, there are songs where if you really listen closely, the lyrics drop enough hints that anyone who knows cars can figure out exactly what kind of vehicle is being sung about. You can have a lot of fun digging through song lyrics to figure these mysteries out. 

Just how much do you know about popular car-related songs? Test your knowledge now with this quiz! 

What car is taken away in the Beach Boys' song "Fun Fun Fun"?

This song is about a girl who didn't follow her parents' rules, so her father took the T-Bird away.

Advertisement

Vanilla Ice had a famous single "Rollin' in My 5.0" which was about what car?

Vanilla Ice apparently graduated from a Chevy IROC-Z to a Foxbody Mustang 5.0 and was obsessed with how fast the car was, so he wrote a song about it.

Advertisement

What car is the central focus of the White Zombie song, "Black Sunshine"?

Iggy Pop provided the intro spoken words, and a Ford Mustang was used for the sound effects played throughout the song, although the exact model has never been confirmed.

Advertisement

What car does Joe Walsh reference to driving in the song, "Life's Been Good"?

While Walsh doesn't specify what model the car was, it works as a status symbol in a song about affluence and material wealth.

Advertisement

What car is the Van Halen song, "Panama," about?

Even though the song was about a car David Lee Roth had that he named Panama, the revving you hear in the song is actually Eddie Van Halen's Lamborghini Miura.

Advertisement

What car is the subject of the Rush song, "Red Barchetta"?

The song was actually inspired by a short story titled "A Nice Morning Drive" that was published in Road and Track magazine in 1973, telling of a future where old cars are deemed too unsafe to be allowed on roads.

Advertisement

What kind of car does Bruce Springsteen reference in the song, "Racing in the Street"?

People have debated exactly which Chevy is featured in the song, which supposedly​ had a 396 cubic-inch big block V-8, plus a Hurst Performance shifter and Fuelie Heads.

Advertisement

In "The General Lee" by Johnny Cash, what model car is he singing about?

Most people know the General Lee from "The Dukes of Hazard' TV show was a Dodge Challenger, complete with decorations that would be quite controversial today.

Advertisement

What car does Wyclef Jean rap about driving in the song, "Apocalypse"?

In the song, Jean raps about getting pulled over by the police because a gas station was robbed, saying if he wanted to, he could lose the police with his Viper.

Advertisement

What car do the Beach Boys specifically reference in the song, "Shut Down"?

The song also mentions a Corvette Stingray, but that wasn't one of the possible answers.

Advertisement

What car is referenced in the Beach Boys' song, "409"?

Funny enough, this song is credited with starting the "hot rod" song craze, but all that's known about the car it talks about is that it uses a 409 cubic-inch V-8 from a Chevy Corvette.

Advertisement

What car was the subject of "G.T.O." by Ronny and the Daytonas?

While it's true that Pontiac stole the GTO name from Ferrari, this song is about the Pontiac model, which came out the same year.

Advertisement

What kind of car does "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry reference?

Before World War II, some cars were made in this style, which put the driver in an open portion, while the passengers sat in an enclosed compartment.

Advertisement

What kind of car is referenced in the Saxon song, "Wheels of Steel"?

The song lyrics make it obvious this 1968 Chevy is customized with a side-exit exhaust, but you can guess all day if it's a Camaro, Corvette, or whatever else.

Advertisement

Exactly what car is the subject of "Rolling in My Rolls" by Moon Martin and the Ravens?

The song talks about seeing Elvis driving one of these and how the narrator dreamed of driving one as well.

Advertisement

What car is the Rob Zombie song, "Dragula," about?

The Drag-U-La was a drag racer featured in the old sitcom, "The Monsters." It was shaped like a coffin, fitting the campy tone of the show.

Advertisement

What vehicle does Nelly mention driving in the song, "Greed Hate Envy"?

In the song, Nelly mentions being pulled over by the police while driving his Range Rover, because the officer apparently thought he stole the vehicle.

Advertisement

What car is the subject of "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett?

While Mack Rice originally recorded this song, it's the Wilson Pickett version that generated the chart hits.

Advertisement

What car does the narrator in 311's "Brodels" talk about driving?

In the song, it only says a '69 Lincoln with suicide doors, but the Continental was the only model with that feature for the year.

Advertisement

What car is the Johnny Cash song "One Piece at a Time" about?

This song is interesting​ because it chronicles the narrator stealing various parts from the Cadillac factory and then putting them all together for an ultimate vehicle.

Advertisement

What car is the subject of the Beach Boys' song, "Little Deuce Coupe"?

On the album cover was Chili Catallo's personal car.

Advertisement

"Highway Star" was a Deep Purple song about what car?

The mystery about what kind of car this song was about was cleared up when a Corvetter was featured for the single's artwork.

Advertisement

The song, "Hey Little Cobra," by The Rip-Chords was about what?

This song chronicled the amazement of seeing the original AC Cobra in action, which gave Carroll Shelby's career a big boost.

Advertisement

In "Parents Just Don't Understand," what car did Will Smith rap about driving?

Most people interpret this car as the family's 911, but it's possible the model was a 944 or 928.

Advertisement

What real-life car was "Hot Rod Lincoln" by Charlie Ryan and Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen referencing?

While the real car was a Model A Coupe, it was slapped onto a 1941 Lincoln frame and was otherwise modified. It raced against a Cadillac, just like in the song.

Advertisement

What is "Rocket 88" by Ike Turner and Jackie Brenston about?

This song is as much about the Oldsmobile as it is about the massive V-8 engine it uses.

Advertisement

What car is trying to pass the narrator in "Diamonds on My Windshield" by Tom Waits?

The song is about droplets of water gathering on a windshield as the driver travels at night, with a Dodge Duster trying to pass him on the freeway.

Advertisement

What car is Bruce Springsteen singing about in "Ramrod"?

This is a modified '32 Ford, which sports a non-specified HEMI engine that makes it especially potent and dangerous.

Advertisement

What car is the topic of "Cadillac Assembly Line" by Sir Mack Rice?

This song, which was popularized by Albert King, is more about black men moving to the South and working in the Cadillac factory, instead of about one specific model from that time.

Advertisement

What kind of vehicle is right in the center of the story for "May We All" by Florida Georgia Line?

This song is about the narrator working on a farm, driving a tractor, saving up money to fix up the Ford Bronco handed down to him.

Advertisement

What vehicle is constantly referenced in "The Jeep Song" by The Dresden Dolls?

The song is all about seeing the same vehicle all over, which is also driven by the narrator's ex.

Advertisement

"Daddy's Cup" by southern rockers Drive-By Truckers is about what kind of car?

This song is about a man who wants to follow in his racer father's footsteps, and he starts out with a Ford Mustang.

Advertisement

What kind of car is Tracy Chapman talking about in "Fast Car"?

We don't know for sure, but most people believe Chapman is referencing a Camaro from the '80s, perhaps and IROC-Z model?

Advertisement

What specific car was John Prine talking about in "Automobile"?

People get confused about this, because this song was on the 1979 album, Pink Cadillac, but it's about a total beater car.

Advertisement

In "Long May You Run" by the Stills-Young Band, what car is being spoken of?

This entire song is considered an elegy for the first car Young drove, which he nicknamed "Mort."

Advertisement

Explore More Quizzes

About Zoo

Our goal at Zoo.com is to keep you entertained in this crazy life we all live.

We want you to look inward and explore new and interesting things about yourself. We want you to look outward and marvel at the world around you. We want you to laugh at past memories that helped shape the person you’ve become. We want to dream with you about all your future holds. Our hope is our quizzes and articles inspire you to do just that.

Life is a zoo! Embrace it on Zoo.com.