Pickup trucks are one of the most popular vehicle segments in the world. Trucks are often marketed using adjectives associated with being cool, such as tough, rugged, and mean. Plenty of trucks have come and gone over the years, but which ones had really cool names? Here are some of the trucks with the coolest names ever, some of which you’ll remember. If you don’t remember any, maybe the cool name just wasn’t enough to sell it.

GMC Syclone

Nope, that isn’t a spelling error. The GMC Syclone substitutes an “S” for the “C” in the actual word, which means “a system of winds rotating inward to an area of low atmospheric pressure”. It’s basically the spinning part of a hurricane, and most importantly it’s a cool name for a truck. The change of spelling gave it a unique feeling, on top of the cool meaning, and helped it to stand out from the crowd. The Syclone was sold in 1991 and was the fastest production truck in existence for that year. It even could outrun a Ferrari with its 4.3-liter turbo V6. It was only produced for two years, and in 1992 only three total of these pickup trucks were made.

Ford Bigfoot Cruiser pickup

You’d be hard-pressed to find one of these in the wild, especially with a high-resolution video. Enough Bigfoot jokes, this is one of the coolest names to ever exist for any vehicle, not just trucks. Named after the mythical creature that has long been hiding from people, it actually fits the truck quite nicely. In the 1980’s it was created and named as such because of the Monster Truck called Bigfoot.

It was a tribute and the closest thing you could get to driving a real monster truck down the street in broad daylight. The Bigfoot Cruiser options package was offered in 1987 and could be ordered on F-150, F-250, and even Ranger models. It proudly exclaimed its name on the doors, but would soon have tremendous issues leading to its demise. After a recall for the oversized tires rubbing against brake lines and fenders in the front as well as low sales numbers, the Bigfoot Cruiser pickup truck died out after only three years.

Ram Power Wagon

This one isn’t that clever or different but instead is named for exactly what it is. That’s what makes it so cool. It sounds great, and also immediately tells potential buyers that it can tow and haul a lot of weight. Not only is it a really cool name, but it’s effective in getting its ability across as well. Originally called the Dodge Power Wagon, it ran from 1945 to 1980, then picked up again in 2005, and is still available today. Today, Power Wagon is a trim level for the Ram 2500 and comes with a 6.4-liter V8 Hemi engine. This engine enables the Power Wagon to tow up to 17,540 pounds with its 410 horsepower and 429 lb-feet of torque. Without any extras added on, it starts at $56,735. The 1945 version of the Dodge Power Wagon likely would’ve cost less than $1,000.

Jeep Gladiator pickup

This is the most recently released pickup on the list. The Jeep pickup truck uses the name of warriors who were trained to fight other men and animals in an arena setting in ancient Rome. Though at the time, since the people were often slaves or captives, it wasn’t very good to be a gladiator, today they are seen as badasses. From the infamous movie to sports teams, the name gladiator is everywhere. The Jeep Gladiator brought a unique pickup truck to design a familiar model. The front cabin closely resembles the Wrangler, but with an added pickup truck bed in the rear. The vehicle has been available since the 2020 model year and comes with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine.

Ford Lightning

You might be thinking this is a newer name than the Jeep Gladiator because of the new electric F-150 Lightning releasing for the 2022 model year. Actually, the Ford Lightning name existed long, long ago. Starting in 1993, the Ford SVT Lightning was produced as a high-performance version of the standard F-150. It was meant to compete with the Chevrolet 454SS and improved on the F-150’s handling with modifications to the front and rear suspension and frame. The SVT Lightning came with a 5.8-liter V8 engine capable of producing up to 240-horsepower. It was produced only until 1995 but came back from 1999 to 2004. Today, the name is returning as Ford’s first full-electric pickup truck, the 2022 Ford Lightning.

Plenty of pickup trucks have come and gone over the years. Many have had plain, normal, uninteresting names. Some, like the ones listed above, have really cool names that capture your attention immediately. Some honorable mentions for cool pickup truck names are the Ford Ranchero GT 428 Cobra Jet, Shelby F-150 Super Snake, and the Ford Raptor. If you haven’t already noticed, it seems like Ford is better at naming its trucks than any other automaker. These are the pickup trucks with the coolest names ever.