The Boeing 757 being nicknamed 'Atari Ferrari' by pilots was far from a coincidence
Published on Aug 17, 2025 at 6:05 PM (UTC+4)
by Keelin McNamara
Last updated on Aug 14, 2025 at 5:14 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Keelin McNamara
The Boeing 757 is one of the longest-serving airplanes on the planet.
It has been in continuous service with several major airlines for over four decades.
Unlike other aircraft, the Boeing 757 carries an extremely cool nickname.
And, to put it simply, it doesn’t have its ‘Atari Ferrari’ nickname for no reason.
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Boeing 757 might have the coolest nickname of them all
The Boeing 757 continued the very cool naming convention for Boeing’s 7×7 range of aircraft.
For example, the Boeing 747 earned the nickname of, ‘the Jumbo Jet.’
The much more modern Boeing 787 earned the moniker of, ‘Dreamliner’.
But the Boeing 757 might just have the coolest nickname of them all.
Upon release in 1983, the Boeing 757 earned the unique nickname, ‘Atari Ferrari.’
One half of the nickname will definitely be very obvious to you.
But, if you’re under the age of 40, we might have to explain the second half.
The most obvious half of the nickname is the ‘Ferrari’ component.
The 757’s twin Rolls-Royce or Pratt & Whitney engines delivered impressive takeoff thrust and climb performance.
Its engines made takeoffs from short runways not only possible, but easy for the Boeing 757.
Everybody was a massive fan of the 757’s wild climbing abilities, blasting skyward at 6,000 feet per minute.
Once in the air, the ‘Atari Ferrari’ could be found cruising at 42,000 feet at 80% the speed of sound.
What’s up with the ‘Atari’ references?
Speaking of the nickname, what gives with the ‘Atari’ part of the nickname?
The Boeing 757, being introduced in the early 1980s, included some radical technology.
Its nickname was directly derived from the new flight deck of this latest aircraft.
The 757 was one of Boeing’s first aircraft with a glass flight deck.
It also was the first to have cathode ray tube screens and digital readouts.
Compared to planes from the not-too-distant past, the Boeing 757 felt like an arcade machine compared to an airplane.
The Atari was, in essence, the PlayStation 5/Xbox One of the 1980s.
It was, up until that point, the most advanced gaming console ever created.
It made pilots feel like they were in a computer game instead of a boring old aircraft.
Hence the ‘Atari’ component of the ‘Atari Ferrari’ nickname.
Given its age, the ‘Atari Ferrari’ is gradually being phased out of usage.
For now, though, the Boeing 757 is still proudly flying the world’s skies, keeping the technology and innovation of the 1980s alive and kicking.
Keelin McNamara is a content writer at Supercar Blondie from Ireland, covering cars, technology, and lifestyle. Despite being a Law graduate, he discovered his passion for journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has worked in the industry ever since. Outside of work, he is an avid MotoGP fan, and is a self-confessed addict of the sport.
