Cars With Snake Names The Ophidiary

The codex

Every entry, in reading order. 55 of them, from a hand-built aluminium roadster named in a dream to a Norse world-serpent that no manufacturer has had the nerve to touch.

55 entries

# Entry Bk Years Namesake Dread
1 Shelby Cobra The word that arrived before the car did I 1962–1967 Cobra 85
2 Shelby 427 Cobra Super Snake Two built. One of them ate its owner. I 1966 Cobra, twice supercharged 80
3 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe The snake that grew a shell to go faster in a straight line I 1964–1965 Cobra, roofed 88
4 Ford Shelby Cobra Concept A resurrection performed at a motor show, then quietly abandoned I 2004 Cobra, revived 73
5 Dodge Viper Ten cylinders, no apology, side pipes that burned the calf of every passenger II 1992–2017 Viper 83
6 Mitsuoka Orochi Named for an eight-headed serpent that had to be made drunk before it could be… II 2006–2014 Yamata no Orochi 81
7 Dodge Viper GTS-R The snake that went to France and made a noise nobody had permission for II 1996–2000s Viper, race-prepared 87
8 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra A horse wearing a snake, which nobody has ever satisfactorily explained II 1993–2004 Cobra, affixed to a horse 70
9 Vauxhall Wyvern A two-legged winged serpent, sold to families in postwar Luton II 1948–1957 Wyvern 61
10 Shelby GT500 Super Snake One was built. Shelby wanted fifty. The price made it a species of one. II 1967; revived 2007–present Cobra, superlative 85
11 Ford 428 Cobra Jet Not a car. An engine that became a promise. II 1968–present, intermittently Cobra, as a powerplant 67
12 Ford Mustang Cobra R Sold without a radio, without air conditioning, and without a back seat, to people… II 1993, 1995, 2000 Cobra, stripped 73
13 Dodge Ram SRT-10 A snake that can tow II 2004–2006 Viper, in a load-bearing role 67
14 Ford Falcon XC Cobra A falcon and a cobra on the same car, in a country with more venomous snakes than… II 1978 Cobra, southern hemisphere 72
15 Dodge Copperhead Concept The Viper’s smaller, cheaper, more survivable cousin, killed in committee II 1997 Copperhead 66
16 Ford Torino Cobra A large flat car with a snake on it and no intention of turning II 1969–1971 Cobra, intermediate-bodied 63
17 Dodge Sidewinder Concept A pickup with a Viper engine, named for a snake that moves diagonally on purpose II 1997 Sidewinder rattlesnake 73
18 Ford Mustang Cobra II A snake made almost entirely of stickers II 1976–1978 Cobra, decal-form 44
19 Ford Fairlane 500 Cobra The cheapest way to buy a snake in 1969 II 1969 Cobra, budget 62
20 Hennessey Venom GT A Texan twin-turbo V8 wearing a Lotus like a stolen skin III 2011–2017 Venom (delivery system unspecified) 74
21 Hennessey Venom F5 Named twice for things that cannot be survived III 2021– Venom, plus a tornado 72
22 Alfa Romeo — the Biscione A serpent with a human being in its mouth, on the nose of every car the company… IV 1910–present Biscione (heraldic serpent of Milan) 80
23 TVR Chimaera Lion at the front, goat in the middle, serpent at the back — which is the end you… IV 1992–2003 Chimera (serpent-tailed) 78
24 SsangYong — Twin Dragons The company was literally called two dragons and nobody in Europe ever noticed IV 1988–2023 (now KG Mobility) East Asian dragon (serpentine) 67
25 Dacia — the Draco Named after a kingdom whose battle standard was a serpent that screamed in the wind IV 1966–present (the province: rather earlier) Draco (Dacian military standard) 60
26 Gilbern — the Welsh Dragon The only cars ever series-produced in Wales, from a country whose flag is a dragon IV 1959–1973 Y Ddraig Goch 62
27 De Tomaso Mangusta The mongoose. Named, allegedly, as an insult, and shaped like an apology for it. V 1967–1971 Mongoose 78
28 The Snake and the Mongoose Two drag racers invented a rivalry, sold it to a toy company, and changed how… V 1970–1972 (and after) Both. Simultaneously. On purpose. 75
29 Plymouth Road Runner Named after a cartoon, which was named after a bird, which genuinely does kill… V 1968–1980 Greater roadrunner 70
30 Apollo Intensa Emozione Named for the god who killed the Python and then took its oracle for himself V 2017– Python-slayer 77
31 Aspark Owl Silent, nocturnal, and arrives without a sound — which is precisely the problem… V 2020– Owl 73
32 SSC Tuatara The last survivor of a lineage that split from the snakes a quarter of a billion… VI 2020– Tuatara 89
33 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray A cartilaginous fish with a venomous barb. Venomous — but not a snake, and not… VI 1963–1976; 2014– Stingray 85
34 Wiesmann — the Gecko The closest miss in the entire book. A genuine cousin, refused at the door on a… VI 1988–present, intermittently Gecko 63
35 De Tomaso Pantera The mongoose gave up and became a cat VI 1971–1993 Panther 75
36 Gardner-Serpollet The most snake-sounding name in automotive history means wild thyme VI 1900–1907 None. It is a herb. 64
37 Plymouth Barracuda Beat the Mustang to market by two weeks and has been losing the argument ever since VI 1964–1974 Barracuda 85
38 Abarth — the Scorpion Venomous, arachnid, and chosen because of a birthday VI 1949–present Scorpion 78
39 Hudson Hornet Venomous, arthropod, and the best-handling American car of its decade VI 1951–1954 Hornet 70
40 Bolwell Nagari It sounds exactly like the Sanskrit for serpent. It is not the Sanskrit for serpent. VI 1970–1974; revived 2008 None — an Aboriginal word, not a nāga 76
41 Iso Grifo A griffin: eagle in front, lion behind. Both halves eat snakes. VI 1965–1974 Griffin 82
42 Opel Manta A ray that does not even have the venom VI 1970–1988 Manta ray 54
43 Monteverdi Hai 450 SS Swiss, Hemi-powered, and named “shark” in German VI 1970 Shark 80
44 Adder — unclaimed Britain built a car called Cobra and ignored the only venomous snake it actually has VII Available immediately European adder 82
45 Mamba — unclaimed The fastest snake on earth, and no car will touch it VII Available immediately Black mamba 82
46 Taipan — unclaimed The most toxic venom ever measured, delivered by an animal that would rather you… VII Available immediately Inland taipan 93
47 Asp — unclaimed Three letters. A queen. An entire empire changing hands. VII Available immediately Asp (contested identity) 87
48 Jörmungandr — unclaimed A serpent long enough to encircle the world and bite its own tail VII Available immediately The Midgard Serpent 98
49 Bushmaster — unclaimed The longest viper in the world, and its genus is named after the Fate who cuts the… VII Available immediately Bushmaster 93
50 Anaconda — unclaimed The heaviest snake alive, and it does not use venom at all VII Available immediately Green anaconda 61
51 Krait — unclaimed Bites people in their sleep, painlessly, and they do not wake up until it is too… VII Available immediately Common krait 81
52 Quetzalcóatl — unclaimed The feathered serpent: a snake that solved the problem of the sky VII Available immediately Feathered serpent 80
53 Python — unclaimed Claimed by an oracle, a missile and a comedy troupe. Never by a car. VII Available immediately Python 73
54 Boomslang — unclaimed Afrikaans for “tree snake”. Killed the herpetologist who insisted it could not. VII Available immediately Boomslang 93
55 Fer-de-Lance — unclaimed French for “spearhead”. Named for the shape of its head, which is the shape of a… VII Available immediately Fer-de-lance / terciopelo 88