Best April Fools' Day jokes by car companies 2023
We round-up this year’s best car-related April Fools’ jokes, along with a few of the more famous japes from years gone by
While car manufacturers are usually too focused on sales targets and engineering development to concern themselves with comedy, this quickly changes on April Fools’ day. When 1 April comes around, PR departments love to try to pull the wool over our eyes with an outlandish jape - sometimes successfully.
These attempts normally take the shape of an advert or a press release which promotes a dubious new vehicle or some elaborate space-age technology and, given the amount of resources at their disposal, brands can go to great lengths to make their jokes look as convincing as possible. Some even make one-off cars, for a cheap laugh.
April Fools' Day 2023: best manufacturer jokes
Here’s our run-down of the best motoring-related April Fools’ Day jokes from 2023, as well as some of our favourite larks from years gone by.
Subaru's Suba-Shoes
Subaru has a long history of all-wheel drive cars so the obvious thing to do is to branch out into 'All-Heel drive Suba-Shoes'. The Subaru limited edition all-terrain walking boots offer maximum comfort thanks to a shock absorbing outer sole with 'grill springs'. Better yet, the Japanese brand is giving interested buyers the chance to enquire through the Subaru website using the products code: AF2300LS.
ISUZU's IZUSU D-Max
Isuzu has issued an unusual product recall for its D-Max pick-up truck on the grounds that a batch have left the factory with incorrect spelling on the badges. Owners are invited to check the front of their vehicles in case they have one of these rogue IZUSU D-Max models, and return to the dealer for a new badge if anything is amiss. More information is available on the following link... www.isuzu.co.uk/oops
Volkswagen's car paint nail varnish
Volkswagen has offered us the option of painting our nails in the same shade as our cars with the added benefit of being able to touch-up any scratches that might appear on the car's bodywork. The gender neutral range of paint shades included Kings Red, Lapiz Blue or Oryx White but we were also told that the nail varnish "is specially formulated using a Fashionable Oil Overhaul Lacquer – known as F.O.O.L".
Jeep Compass Mud-On
Modern Jeeps may be perfectly at home on the tarmac, but the brand has long been a specialist in building cars that can handle the roughest of terrains.
Of course, after a days’ off-roading, driving home in your mud-caked Jeep is the best way to show others that you and your car mean business. Fortunately, Jeep’s ‘Chief Mud Officer’, Dr. Terry Firma, has created the perfect solution for those who want the off-road look without leaving their home.
The all-new aftermarket ‘Mud-On’ package gives you the option to have your Jeep Compass ‘pre-mudded’ in one of three colours: Clay, Soil or Silt. Each coating is carefully applied by specialised mud-spraying robots and, what’s more, the service is completely free-of-charge.
Honda Hush
If you own a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, you will already know the bliss of drowning out irritating sounds with just the flick of a switch.
Many people use these headphones on public transport, so Honda has decided that this near-silent luxury should also be available in your car. If your passengers are starting to distract you from driving, simply press a button and all of your noise-related woes will be history.
The Hush system emits a customisable piece of continuous audio, and you can choose white noise, whale song or even elevator music. The system features voice recognition technology, too, and can be tailored to specific passengers such as a partner, in-law, child or even a barking dog.
Onto's Formula-e subscription
Always wanted to get behind the wheel of a Formula-e racing car but without the hassle of training? Onto’s new subscription service will now allow you to put one of these high-performance machines on your driveway with ease.
Admittedly, these cars are flawed when it comes to family use, but the fully-electric powertrain means you’ll avoid emissions-based charges and enjoy big savings on running costs, making them perfect for commuters - as long as you don’t have any luggage or passengers, and aren’t too fussed about a heater or roof, either.
Skoda's Pumped-up Pooch
Your canine companion is part of the family, so why wouldn’t you consider the needs of your four-legged friend when choosing your next car?
It’s clearly time for a change, and Skoda is now providing its UK dealers with the all-new Pumped-up Pooch cabinet. Inside this cabinet are 222 accurately-sized inflatable dogs, one for every breed recognised by The Kennel Club.
No matter which breed you own, you can now use these Pumped-up Pooches to accurately work out how well your dog will fit into your new Skoda. So whether it's a Collie in a Karoq or a Shiba Inu in a Superb, your dog will now travel in the utmost safety and comfort.
What's the best car-related April Fools' Day joke you've seen? Tell us all about it in the comments section below...
