Brendan Fraser may have named his kids after car brands

Is Oscar winner Brendan Fraser a car guy? Possibly, according to the names of his three sons – all of which appear to have automotive origins.

When the popular late 1990s star took home the Best Actor trophy at the Academy Awards this morning (Australian time), two of his three sons were by his side to celebrate.

While we're not much for celebrity watching at Drive, the names of Fraser's kids certainly piqued our interest.

The actor is dad to Griffin, aged 20, Holden, 18 and Leland, 16, all of whom he shares with his ex-wife Afton Smith.

For those who aren't keen car lovers, perhaps only one of those names will ring a bell – Holden is of course shared with the now-defunct Australian car maker behind the iconic Commodore.

Of course, it's possible Fraser could also be a fan of the novel The Catcher in the Rye – in which the protagonist is named Holden Caulfield – but the names of his other two sons suggest otherwise.

Some might recognise Leland as a possible nod to 1960s British manufacturer Leyland, which sold the Leyland P76 in Australia.

Finally, the name of Fraser's eldest son, Griffin, is potentially a very subtle reference to British brand Vauxhall, which uses a Griffin – a mythical creature that's part-lion, part-eagle – as its logo.

Vauxhall even offers 'Griffin editions' of some of its current models in the UK.

Aside from his son's names, Fraser hasn't been particularly vocal about his enthusiasm for all things automotive.

It's believed he's a fan of the Hudson Hornet, a large sedan manufactured in the United States in the 1950s, and he's previously served as a pace car driver for NASCAR.

In one of the actor's more recent roles, he played a race-car driver for the DC Comics series Doom Patrol.

While we don't have a direct line to Brendan Fraser to confirm the origins of his kids' names – and they're more likely just a coincidence – it has sparked a fun conversation in the Drive office: who are some other prominent pop culture figures named after cars?

The lead in Netflix series Mindhunter is named Holden Ford, there's a character in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy called Ford Prefect and actor Dax Shepard, a keen car enthusiast, named his first-born daughter Lincoln, after Ford's luxury division.

Known of any others? Let us know in the comments.