Can You Name the Car Featured in These Hit Songs?

By: Steven Symes
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Name the Car Featured in These Hit Songs?
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"?
Chevy Nova
Mercedes 300SL
Ford Pinto
Ford Thunderbird
This song is about a girl who didn't follow her parents' rules, so her father took the T-Bird away.

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Vanilla Ice had a famous single "Rollin' in My 5.0" which was about what car?
Chevy Corvette
BMW 525i
Mercedes SL500
Ford Mustang 5.0
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.

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What car is the central focus of the White Zombie song, "Black Sunshine"?
Chevy Camaro
Ford Mustang
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.
AMC Javelin
Dodge Challenger

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What car does Joe Walsh reference to driving in the song, "Life's Been Good"?
Ferrari
McLaren
Maserati
While Walsh doesn't specify what model the car was, it works as a status symbol in a song about affluence and material wealth.
Chevy

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What car is the Van Halen song, "Panama," about?
1972 Lamborghini Miura
1957 Mercury
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.
1949 Hudson Hornet
nobody knows

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What car is the subject of the Rush song, "Red Barchetta"?
Mazda Miata
Honda S500
BMW Z1
an unspecified Italian sports car
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.

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What kind of car does Bruce Springsteen reference in the song, "Racing in the Street"?
Chevy
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.
Ford
Dodge
Mercury

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In "The General Lee" by Johnny Cash, what model car is he singing about?
Plymouth Roadrunner
Dodge Charger
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.
Pontiac GTO
Dodge Challenger

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What car does Wyclef Jean rap about driving in the song, "Apocalypse"?
Chevy Corvette ZR1
Dodge Viper
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.
Chevy Camaro SS
Mercedes-AMG E65

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What car do the Beach Boys specifically reference in the song, "Shut Down"?
Dodge Challenger R/T
Plymouth Super Bird
Dodge Dart Super Stock
The song also mentions a Corvette Stingray, but that wasn't one of the possible answers.
AMC AMX

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What car is referenced in the Beach Boys' song, "409"?
Chevy Chevelle
Dodge Charger R/T
Plymouth 'Cuda
something with a Corvette engine
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.

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What car was the subject of "G.T.O." by Ronny and the Daytonas?
Pontiac GTO
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.
Ferrari GTO 250
Ferrari GTO 288
Ferrari GTO 599

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What kind of car does "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry reference?
convertible
roadster
a Coupe de Ville
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.
station wagon

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What kind of car is referenced in the Saxon song, "Wheels of Steel"?
1966 Ford Thunderbird
1968 Chevy
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.
1968 Ford Mustang
1972 Dodge Charger

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Exactly what car is the subject of "Rolling in My Rolls" by Moon Martin and the Ravens?
Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow
1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom II
The song talks about seeing Elvis driving one of these and how the narrator dreamed of driving one as well.
Jaguar E-Type
Shelby Cobra

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What car is the Rob Zombie song, "Dragula," about?
Ford Mustang GT
the Drag-U-La
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.
Plymouth Barracuda
Mercury Cougar

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What vehicle does Nelly mention driving in the song, "Greed Hate Envy"?
Mercedes G-Class
Dodge Viper
Range Rover
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.
Lotus Esprit

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What car is the subject of "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett?
1966 Pontiac GTO
1965 Ford Mustang
While Mack Rice originally recorded this song, it's the Wilson Pickett version that generated the chart hits.
1967 Chevy Camaro
1971 Mercury Cougar

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What car does the narrator in 311's "Brodels" talk about driving?
1978 Cadillac Eldorado
1984 Buick Grand National
1969 Lincoln Continental
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.
1978 AMC Pacer

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What car is the Johnny Cash song "One Piece at a Time" about?
1966 Cadillac Eldorado
Chevy C/K
Ford Gran Torino
a home-built hot rod
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.

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What car is the subject of the Beach Boys' song, "Little Deuce Coupe"?
1932 Ford Coupe
On the album cover was Chili Catallo's personal car.
1957 Chevy Suburban
1947 Kaiser Jeep
1955 Chevy Corvette

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"Highway Star" was a Deep Purple song about what car?
Ford Mustang
Chevy Corvette
The mystery about what kind of car this song was about was cleared up when a Corvetter was featured for the single's artwork.
AMC Gremlin
Jeep Wrangler

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The song, "Hey Little Cobra," by The Rip-Chords was about what?
Dodge Viper
Ford Mustang Cobra
Ford Mustang Cobra R
AC Cobra
This song chronicled the amazement of seeing the original AC Cobra in action, which gave Carroll Shelby's career a big boost.

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In "Parents Just Don't Understand," what car did Will Smith rap about driving?
Porsche
Most people interpret this car as the family's 911, but it's possible the model was a 944 or 928.
Mercedes-Benz
BMW
Jaguar

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What real-life car was "Hot Rod Lincoln" by Charlie Ryan and Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen referencing?
Cadillac Cimarron
Ford Model A Coupe
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.
Pontiac Trans Am
Dodge Charger

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What is "Rocket 88" by Ike Turner and Jackie Brenston about?
1988 Pontiac Trans Am
Plymouth Roadrunner
Oldsmobile 88
This song is as much about the Oldsmobile as it is about the massive V-8 engine it uses.
Plymouth Superbird

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What car is trying to pass the narrator in "Diamonds on My Windshield" by Tom Waits?
Dodge Duster
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.
Dodge Challenger
Ford Pinto
Ford Probe

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What car is Bruce Springsteen singing about in "Ramrod"?
1955 Hudson Hornet
1962 Dodge Charger
1932 Ford
This is a modified '32 Ford, which sports a non-specified HEMI engine that makes it especially potent and dangerous.
1972 Dodge Daytona

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What car is the topic of "Cadillac Assembly Line" by Sir Mack Rice?
Cadillac DeVille
Cadillac CT5
Delorean
a non-specific Cadillac
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.

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What kind of vehicle is right in the center of the story for "May We All" by Florida Georgia Line?
Chevy Camaro
Ford Bronco
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.
Chevy Caprice
Datsun 200Z

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What vehicle is constantly referenced in "The Jeep Song" by The Dresden Dolls?
1997 Jeep Wrangler
2003 Jeep Wrangler
1996 Jeep Cherokee
The song is all about seeing the same vehicle all over, which is also driven by the narrator's ex.
1992 Jeep Grand Wagoneer

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"Daddy's Cup" by southern rockers Drive-By Truckers is about what kind of car?
Chevy Camaro
Ford Mustang
This song is about a man who wants to follow in his racer father's footsteps, and he starts out with a Ford Mustang.
Dodge Challenger
Mercury Cougar

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What kind of car is Tracy Chapman talking about in "Fast Car"?
1980s Chevy Camaro
We don't know for sure, but most people believe Chapman is referencing a Camaro from the '80s, perhaps and IROC-Z model?
1977 Ford Thunderbird
1972 Ford Gran Torino
1982 Dodge Daytona

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What specific car was John Prine talking about in "Automobile"?
1979 Pink Cadillac
1955 Chevy Corvette
1951 Ford Club Coupe
People get confused about this, because this song was on the 1979 album, Pink Cadillac, but it's about a total beater car.
1982 Buick LeSabre

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In "Long May You Run" by the Stills-Young Band, what car is being spoken of?
1932 Ford Coupe
1948 Buick Roadmaster
This entire song is considered an elegy for the first car Young drove, which he nicknamed "Mort."
1917 Ford Model T
1955 Dodge Coupe

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