Blue IS not only a popular colour for a car but also appears to be a good name for one, too.
A fair number of owners call their cars Blue Boy, Bluebelle or Bluey, according to a survey of more than 24,000 drivers by AA Driving School.
Names beginning with B seem to be favoured, with other popular monikers including Betsy, Babe, Baby, Beast, Bertie, Bess, Bessie, Brian and Bertha.
Other favourites include Little Beauty, Little Star and, somewhat confusingly, Little Mighty. Reflecting either age or affection, some cars are called Old Gal, Old Lady and Old Whitey.
Other less flattering names include The Shed of Dread, The Crudmobile, and Cactus Jack.
Naming a car is clearly not for everyone, though, as one respondent said: “Anyone who names their car shouldn’t be allowed on the road.”
The survey found:
:: 39% of drivers have given their car a name;
:: Women are far more likely than men to have named a car, with 50% saying they have done so compared with 33% of men;
:: 70% of drivers aged 18-24 have named their car compared with only 30% of drivers over 65;
:: Of those drivers who have named a car, 30% said they decided on a moniker based on the car’s registration number.
AA Driving School managing director Jim Kirkwood said: “Most drivers spend a lot of time in their cars and depend on them for the smooth running of their daily lives, so it’s perhaps not too surprising that they name them like another member of the family.
“The fact that young drivers are so much more likely to have named a car is probably a reflection of what a huge impact passing your driving test has on your life.”