Fun and Fascinating Car Trivia for the Automotive Enthusiast
How car savvy are you? Check out our collection of 20 of the most random car trivia facts that will definitely test your automotive knowledge!
1. Who designed what was considered the world’s first car?
A. Henry Ford
B. Ferdinand Porsche
C. Karl Benz
D. David Buick
E. Louis Chevrolet
F. Antoine Laumet de la Mothe Cadillac
2. What famous auto maker is responsible for designing the Volkswagen Beetle?
A. Bavarian Motor Works
B. Walter P. Chrysler
C. Henry Ford
D. Ferdinand Porsche
3. What make and model is the General Lee?
A. Dodge Charger
B. Chevrolet Camaro
C. Ford Mustang
D. Mercury Cougar
E. Plymouth Roadrunner
4. How did the Ford Mustang get it’s name?
A. Herd of Wild Horses
B. WWII Fighter Plane
C. Henry Ford’s Wife
D. Play on words for Horsepower
5. Which car is considered to be the first “muscle car”?
A. 1963 Buick Rivera
B. 1962 Chevrolet Imala
C. 1967 Chevrolet Camaro
D. 1964 Ford Mustang
E. 1964 Pontiac GTO
6. What is the worlds largest automotive company?
A. Volkswagen Group
B. General Motors
C. Ford Motors
D. Toyota Motor
7. What company opened up the first drive-in gas station?
8. When and where was the first drive-in theater built?
A. Detroit Michigan in 1928
B. NYC, New York in 1930
C. Camen, NJ in 1933
D. Philadelphia, PA in 1929
9. What US Production car is the fastest from 0-60 mph?
A. 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS 409
B. 1966 Ford Shelby GT 350
C. 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS 327
D. 1966 Dodge Charger
10. What is the name of the caped lady on top of the Rolls Royce radiators?
A. Flying Woman
B. Queen Elizabeth
C. Spirit of Ecstasy
D. Lady Liberty
11. In what year did Auto Insurance become available to drivers?
12. Harley Earl introduces what feature to the Chevy Cadillac in 1948
A. Wheel Wells
D. Tail Fins
E. Side Mirrors
13. Why was a national speed limit of 55 mph enacted in 1974?
A. Increase in automobile accidents
B. Increase in speeding tickets
C. Oil Shortage
D. Increase in city traffic
14. When did Chrysler first officially use the "Hemi" name?
15. What was the first Japanese car to be produced in the United States?
A. Toyota Camry
B. Honda Civic
C. Nissan Altima
D. Honda Accord
E. Subaru WRX
16. What was Henry Ford most famous for?
A. Inventing the Automobile
B. Inventing Combustion Engines
C. Development of the assembly line used in mass production
D. Development of the Ford Mustang
17. What video game comes standard in every Saab equipped with a GM Tech II?
B. Mario Cart
18. What tailgate accessory did the first and second generation Honda CRV’s come equipped with?
A. Beverage Cooler
B. Tailgate Grill
C. Picnic Table
19. What was the last automaker to offer cassette players in their vehicles?
20. Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Porsche are auto manufacturers under what flagship company?
1. Answer - C - Designed, built and patented by Karl Benz in 1886, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen is universally recognized as the first internal combustion automobile. In 1926, Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler would join forces and company’s, creating Daimler-Benz, later Mercedes-Benz.
2. Answer D. Not his most luxurious or fastest automotive design, Ferdinand Porsche, legacy to Porsche Motors and some of the most luxurious and sought after sports cars in the world, did in fact design the Volkswagen Beetle, contracted by Adolf Hitler.
3. Answer - A. The General Lee was based off of a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T, although many ‘ odified '68 Chargers were used in filming, sharing the same sheet metal with the '69's.
4. Answer B. Ford executive stylist John Najjar is credited with naming the Mustang. Najjar was said to be a fan of the WWII-winning P-51 Mustang fighter plane, thus using the powerful moniker for Ford’s iconic and first of the Pony cars.
5. Answer E. Although there had been powerful cars built up to this point, it is the 1964 Pontiac GTO, which is recognized as the first true Muscle car. With an advertising and marketing campaign stating the facts, the midsize Pontiac Tempest/LeMans could be optioned with the GTO package, featuring a 389ci Tri-power (3-dual carburetors) engine, dual exhaust and hood scoops.
6. Answer D. Toyota is the worlds largest automaker followed by General Motors who just recently ranked ahead of Volkswagen Group. The Toyota Corolla remains the best selling car in the world with 1.02 million units sold.
7. Answer E. Gulf opened up the first station in Pittsburg, PA in 1913.
8. Answer C. The first drive in Theater was built in 1933, in Camden, NJ.
9. Answer A. 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS 409. It could go from 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds.
10. Answer C. The Spirit of Ecstasy is the official name for the woman mascot hood ornament seen on many Rolls Royces.
11. Answer A. The first auto insurance policy is purchased in Westfield, MA in 1897
12. Answer D. Harley Earl introduces the tail fin on the Cadillac in 1948 which continue to grace the rear of Cadillacs for another decade.
13. Answer C. Oil Shortage. The National Maximum Speed Law (NMSL) in the United States was a provision of the 1974 Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act that prohibited speed limits higher than 55 miles per hour (90 km/h). It was drafted in response to oil price spikes and supply disruptions during the 1973 oil crisis. While officials hoped gasoline consumption would fall by 2.2%, actual savings are estimated at between 0.5% and 1%.
14. Answer A. 1964. Even though Chrysler make engines with hemi heads in the 50s, it wasn’t until 1964 when they revived the hemi head design and officially used the “Hemi" name.
15. Answer D. In November of 1982, the first American-produced Honda Accord rolled off the assembly line at the Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio, making it the first Japanese car to be produced in the United States. The Accord would prove quite popular. In its first year of production, it became the best-selling Japanese car in the United States — a title which it would hold for the next 15 years.
16. Answer C. The “Model-T” was the first car to be mass-produced. Henry Ford introduced the assembly line in December of 1908, and as a result he was not only able to mass-produce the Model-T, but was able to offer it to his customers at a much lower price than the competition. By 1913, Ford was producing half of all cars sold in the United States, and by 1927, he had sold more than 15 million Model-Ts!
17. Answer D. When using the GM Tech II on a Saab 9-3 SS (I believe this works on 2003-2007 cars) if you go into the Airbag/SRS system submenu, there is a easter egg that allows the tech to play Pong on the Tech II.
18. Answer C. The first and second generations of Honda’s winsome compact SUV came with a standard flip-out picnic table. For first gens, there was also an optional shower kit for the back, too.
19. Answer A. While the Lexus SC430 came with a standard cassette player until 2010, the very last car to be able to play cassettes was the Ford Crown Vic, which still had an optional player in 2011.
20. Answer C. Volkswagen Group sells passenger cars under the Audi, Bentley, the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Škodaand Volkswagen marques; motorcycles under the Ducati brand; and commercial vehicles under the MAN, Scania,Neoplan and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles marques. It is divided into two primary divisions, the Automotive Division and the Financial Services Division, and has approximately 340 subsidiary companies.