Member's Stories
Meet the Members
Every car has a name for a reason.
This is where the stories live.
Across The Garage Club, members have shared photos of themselves with their cars ... and the moments, jokes, memories, and accidents that led to each name. Some are obvious. Some took years. Some only make sense to the owner (and that's the point).
This page isn't about perfect builds or polished garages.
It's about connection between people and the cars they live with every day.
Scroll through, read the stories, and see how others have claimed their cars as their own.
Because naming a car isn't about the car — it's about the person who drives it.
Member Story #1
Member Name: Saffron Ellis
Breed: Ride or Dye
Car Name: Viva
The Story:
“I’ve always named my cars like they were mates with personalities, because they are. My first was a cherry-red Vauxhall Corsa I called Spark, back when I was 19 and convinced the world would light up if I drove fast enough down the A5. Then came Velvet, a black MINI Cooper with tinted windows and a sound system that knew every shade of my mood. She got me through heartbreaks, promotions, and a move from Exeter to Brighton.
But Viva, my current Cupra Formentor, is something else entirely. She’s not just a car, she’s a statement. I named her Viva because she’s pure pulse. That burnt orange finish, the growl when she starts, the way people glance back as she passes, it’s all energy, all presence. I chose her after walking away from a job that bored me, and she reminds me every day that I’m allowed to be bold, loud, and completely myself.”
Member Story #2
Member Name: Jordan Ellis
Breed: The Pioneer
Car Name: Origin
The Story:
“I’ve changed tyres in the rain and changed roles in the dark. For years I played my part in the machine, meetings, metrics, the Monday-to-Friday blur. I did it well. Raised two brilliant kids. Paid the mortgage. Smiled through the grind.
But now? Now I drive Origin, a deep-blue Land Rover Defender I impulse bought, after starting my own business last Spring. I named them Origin because this isn’t a midlife crisis (honest!), it’s a beginning. The boot’s full of samples, sketches, and the kind of mess that reminds me … something’s being built.
Before Origin, there was Steady, a silver Skoda Octavia that got me through the school runs and the early-morning/ late-night commutes. Reliable, quiet, never asked for much. But Origin is the start of something new.
We’re making up for lost time … and honestly? I’ve never felt more like myself.”
Member Story #3
Member Name: Lottie Fairweather
Breed: The Companion
Car Name: Sunday
The Story:
“Her name’s Sunday. Not because she’s slow, she’s a zippy little Mini Countryman, but because she feels like a Sunday. Warm, familiar, full of life’s little rituals. There’s always a dog blanket in the boot (two spaniels, muddy and proud), a half-eaten packet of Hobnobs in the glovebox, and a faint scent of lemon and jasmine from the hand cream I keep in the cupholder.
Before Sunday, there was Clover, a sensible Honda CR-V that ferried football boots, violin cases, and forgotten PE kits across the county. Clover was sturdy, patient, and never once complained about the crumbs. But when the youngest left for uni, I fancied something with a bit more sparkle. Something that felt like me again.
Sunday’s been to every after-school club, every soggy pitch, every picnic in the Cotswolds with flasks of tea and slightly squashed sausage rolls. She’s the kind of car that beeps at neighbours and knows the shortcut to the garden centre. I named her Sunday because she reminds me that connection isn’t grand, it’s gentle, shared, and often found in the front seat with a dog panting behind you and a playlist full of memories.”
