Automotive design terminology
Encyclopedia
A glossary of terms as relating to automotive design
.
Some terms may be found at car body style
.
, original Ford Econoline. The equivalent French
term is volume, which you will sometimes see used by the British: "1-volume form".
2-box form: A categorization based on overall form design using rough rectangle volumes. In the case of the 2-box form, there is usually a "box" representing a separate volume from the a-pillar forward and second box making up the rest. e.g., Station Wagon
, Shooting-brake
, Scion xB
(2006) The equivalent French
term is volume, which you will sometimes see used by the British: "2-volume form".
3-box
form: A categorization based on overall form design using rough rectangle volumes. In the case of the 3-box form, there is a "box" delineating a separate volume from the a-pillar forward, a second box comprising the passenger volume, and third box comprising the trunk
area — e.g., a Sedan. The equivalent French
term is volume, which you will sometimes see used by the British: "3-volume form".
Axis-to-dash ratio: The critical relationship between front wheels and the windshield. The most notable differences can be seen between cars with front-engine, front-wheel drive layout and front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout: the former tend to have longer front overhangs with a smaller axis-to-dash ratios, while the latter have shorter front overhangs with much greater axis-to-dash ratios.
Beltline: The line going from the hood which usually follows the bottom edge of the windows and continues to the trunk.
Bling: (contemporary) See brightwork. May also refer to the strong use of jeweled lighting. Comes from the term bling-bling
.
Bonnet: The hood of the vehicle.
Boot: The trunk or liftgate of the vehicle.
Brightwork: Anything reflective added to a car to enhance appearance. May also be called chrome.
Cab back: The cab of the vehicle is moved to the rear of the vehicle. Cars such as a 1970's Corvette could be considered cab back design.
Cab forward: The cab of the vehicle is pushed forward. This design aesthetic was popular with Chrysler in the 1990s with the introduction of their LH platform cars.
Character line: A line creased into the side of a car to give it visual interest. (interchangeable with swage line)
Chrome: Brightwork using chrome plating
.
Cladding: Material (usually plastic) added to exterior of the car which isn't structurally necessary. May be functional to keep out dirt/debris as in underbody cladding, or may be cosmetic.
Control Panel: Generally used in a Car/Truck for heating and cooling inside car environment according to the passenger requirements. Basically it is divided in to Different modes, Blower speed functions, AC, Temperature, Fresh recirculation of air. World wide control panel manufacturers are BHTC, Delphi, Visteon, Valeo, etc.
Cowl: The base of the windshield.
: For openings on the side of the vehicle, other than a door opening, the locus of all points where a horizontal line, perpendicular to the vehicle longitudinal centerline, is tangent to the periphery of the opening.
Dead Cat Hole: The space between a car's tire and the wheel well. Currently there is a trend towards smaller dead cat holes.
Deck: The horizontal surface at the rear of the car, which usually serves as the trunk lid.
Down Road Graphic: The styling of the front end of the car, which people will instantly recognize and associate with a manufacturer. For example, the grille, lights and sometimes the DLO.
Droptop: A convertible.
Fender
(wings, UK): Term for cowl covering the wheels of the vehicles. In more modern automobiles, this refers generally to the body panel or panels starting at the front "bumper" to the first door line excluding the engine hood. The opposite of the fender is the "quarter panel
".
Frame-on-rail: A design used in older (pre-unibody) cars, trucks, and SUVs. The power train and body are mounted to a rigid structural framework called a rail.
Greenhouse: The glassed-in upper section of the car's body. Daylight Opening (DLO) in turn describes the actual window areas only.
Header: (1) The structural roof beam above the windshield. (2) The section of exhaust piping attached to the cylinder head
.
Hofmeister kink
: BMW
's trademark reverse-sweep kick at the bottom of last roof pillar.
HP (Hip Point or H-point
): A conceptual plane parallel with ground that aligns to the vehicle passengers' hip/thigh join. This helps to describe the "seat" height of a vehicle design, relative to either the ground or the vehicle floor.
Hood (Bonnet in English speaking countries outside North America
with the exception of the Canadian Maritimes): The engine cover on vehicles when the engine is located forward or aft of the passenger compartment.
: A distinctively shaped inlet that is flush and begins with a narrow, shallow inset and becomes progressively wider and deeper.
: The distance which the car's body extends beyond the wheelbase at the front (front overhang) and rear (rear overhang). In car style design terms, this is the amount of body that is beyond the wheels or wheel arches.
Pillar
: A structural member that connects the roof to the body of the car. Pillars are usually notated from front to back alphabetically (e.g. A-pillar joins the windshield to the frontmost side windows, B-pillar is next to the front occupants' heads, etc.).
Plenum
: The area at the base of the windshield where the wipers are parked. Also refers to the main chamber in an intake manifold.
Ponton styling
: a 1930s–1960s design genre when distinct running board
s and fully articulated fenders
became less common and bodywork began to enclose the full width and uninterrupted length of a car in a markedly bulbous, slab-sided fashion.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
: A hybrid vehicle
that can be plugged into the electric grid to recharge its battery to reduce gasoline usage.
Powertrain
: All the components that generate power and deliver it to the tires.
. Note that a "steeply raked" windscreen is close to horizontal.
Roadster: An open vehicle, usually with 2 doors, with a removable and/or retractable cloth top and a windshield characterized by the lack of integrated glass side windows. Contemporary uses of this name do not always follow this original description.
Rocker: The body section below the base of the door openings sometimes called the "rocker panels", or "sills".
Rocker Rail: Body armor protecting the Rocker, found mostly in off road vehicles. Term coined by engineers at MetalCloak.
: Inset or protusion that implies the intake of air. May be functional for cooling/ventilation or purely ornamental.
Scowling headlamps: Headlamps styled along a V-shape as viewed from the front, giving the impression of a scowl
.
Shooting-brake
: Once a vehicle designed to carry hunters and sportmen; now a station wagon
or vehicle combining features of a station wagon
and a coupe
.
Shoulder line: The line or "shoulder" formed by the meeting of top and side surfaces extending from hood/fender shoulder to boot-lid/quarter-panel shoulder. The strongest example of this feature can be found on more modern of Volvo Cars
.
Sill line: Imaginary line drawn following the bottom edge of the greenhouse glass.
Six line: A line extending from the C-pillar down and around the rear wheel well.
Softtop: a convertible top which is made out of flexible materials like PVC
or textile
.
Spoiler
: A raised lip or wing which is used to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across the body. Some designs are more functional than others.
Staggered wheel fitment: The front and rear wheels are different widths. On sporty rear wheel drive cars, the rear tires are usually wider than the front.
Strake: Crease in the sheet metal intended as a "speed line" styling feature. Exemplified in the doors of the Ferrari Testarossa
.
Suicide door
: rear-hinged type, opening from the front of the car. If accidentally opened while driving at a high speed, doors would be blown backward.
Swage line: Crease or curvature in the side of the body used to create visual drama. Sometimes the crease is functional and improves rigidity of the outer body (interchangeable with character line).
Truck: A typically large vehicle built using frame-on-rail construction consisting of a cab and a separate bed for cargo.
Trunk: (Boot in UK) Compartment for storage of cargo which is separate from the cab.
Tube Fender
: Replacement fenders found on off road vehicles designed as part of body armor for off road vehicles. Used to protect the thin sheet metal bodies from damage while off-roading.
Tumblehome (tumble home): Generally refers to the way the sides of a car rounds inward toward the roof, specifically of the greenhouse above the beltline. This term is borrowed from nautical description of naval vessels.
Turn under: The shape of the rocker panel as it curves inward at the lower edge.
Wheel arch: The visible opening in the side of a car allowing access to the wheel.
Wheelbase: The distance front to back measured from where the front and rear wheels meet the ground.
Wheel well (or bucket): The enclosure or space for the wheel.
Windshield Trim: US DOT Term
: Molding of any material between the windshield glazing and the exterior roof surface, including material that covers a part of either the windshield glazing or exterior roof surface.
Wings: See Fender.
Automotive design
Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles. This most commonly refers to automobiles but also refers to motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans...
.
Some terms may be found at car body style
Car body style
Automobiles' body styles are highly variable. Some body styles remain in production, while others become less common or obsolete. They may or may not correlate to a car's price, size or intended market classification. The same car model might be available in multiple body styles comprising a...
.
0-9
1-box form: A categorization based on overall form design using rough rectangle volumes. In the case of the 1-box, it is a single continuous volume. Slight wedge formed front or rear are still generally placed in this category. e.g., BusBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
, original Ford Econoline. The equivalent French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
term is volume, which you will sometimes see used by the British: "1-volume form".
2-box form: A categorization based on overall form design using rough rectangle volumes. In the case of the 2-box form, there is usually a "box" representing a separate volume from the a-pillar forward and second box making up the rest. e.g., Station Wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
, Shooting-brake
Shooting-brake
Shooting-brake, shooting brake or shooting break is a term for a car body style that has evolved through several distinct meanings over its history....
, Scion xB
Scion xB
The Scion xB is a vehicle made by Toyota for the United States market and sold under their youth-oriented Scion brand. It is a box-shaped, 5-door compact hatchback.-First generation :...
(2006) The equivalent French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
term is volume, which you will sometimes see used by the British: "2-volume form".
3-box
Three-box styling
Three-box design is a broad automotive styling term describing a coupé, sedan, notchback or hatchback where — when viewed in profile — principal volumes are articulated into three separate compartments or boxes: engine, passenger and cargo....
form: A categorization based on overall form design using rough rectangle volumes. In the case of the 3-box form, there is a "box" delineating a separate volume from the a-pillar forward, a second box comprising the passenger volume, and third box comprising the trunk
Trunk
Trunk may refer to:In biology:*Trunk, an elephant's proboscis or nose*Trunk, torso*Trunk , a tree's central superstructureIn containers:*Trunk , a large storage compartment*Trunk...
area — e.g., a Sedan. The equivalent French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
term is volume, which you will sometimes see used by the British: "3-volume form".
A
A-line: The line running over the car, from headlight to taillight, tracing the car's silhouette.Axis-to-dash ratio: The critical relationship between front wheels and the windshield. The most notable differences can be seen between cars with front-engine, front-wheel drive layout and front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout: the former tend to have longer front overhangs with a smaller axis-to-dash ratios, while the latter have shorter front overhangs with much greater axis-to-dash ratios.
B
Backlight: The rear glass window glass.Beltline: The line going from the hood which usually follows the bottom edge of the windows and continues to the trunk.
Bling: (contemporary) See brightwork. May also refer to the strong use of jeweled lighting. Comes from the term bling-bling
Bling-bling
Bling is a slang term popularized in hip hop culture, referring to flashy, ostentatious or elaborate jewelry and ornamented accessories that are carried, worn or installed, such as cell phones or tooth caps....
.
Bonnet: The hood of the vehicle.
Boot: The trunk or liftgate of the vehicle.
Brightwork: Anything reflective added to a car to enhance appearance. May also be called chrome.
C
Cab: Short for cabin. The enclosed compartment of a vehicle which contains the driver and passengers.Cab back: The cab of the vehicle is moved to the rear of the vehicle. Cars such as a 1970's Corvette could be considered cab back design.
Cab forward: The cab of the vehicle is pushed forward. This design aesthetic was popular with Chrysler in the 1990s with the introduction of their LH platform cars.
Character line: A line creased into the side of a car to give it visual interest. (interchangeable with swage line)
Chrome: Brightwork using chrome plating
Chrome plating
Chrome plating, often referred to simply as chrome, is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease cleaning procedures, or increase surface hardness.-Process:A component to be chrome plated will...
.
Cladding: Material (usually plastic) added to exterior of the car which isn't structurally necessary. May be functional to keep out dirt/debris as in underbody cladding, or may be cosmetic.
Control Panel: Generally used in a Car/Truck for heating and cooling inside car environment according to the passenger requirements. Basically it is divided in to Different modes, Blower speed functions, AC, Temperature, Fresh recirculation of air. World wide control panel manufacturers are BHTC, Delphi, Visteon, Valeo, etc.
Cowl: The base of the windshield.
D
Daylight Opening (DLO): US DOT TermUnited States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
: For openings on the side of the vehicle, other than a door opening, the locus of all points where a horizontal line, perpendicular to the vehicle longitudinal centerline, is tangent to the periphery of the opening.
- US DOT TermUnited States Department of TransportationThe United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
: For openings on the front and rear of the vehicle, other than a door opening, daylight opening means the locus of all points where a horizontal line, parallel to the vehicle longitudinal centerline is tangent to the periphery of the opening.
Dead Cat Hole: The space between a car's tire and the wheel well. Currently there is a trend towards smaller dead cat holes.
Deck: The horizontal surface at the rear of the car, which usually serves as the trunk lid.
Down Road Graphic: The styling of the front end of the car, which people will instantly recognize and associate with a manufacturer. For example, the grille, lights and sometimes the DLO.
Droptop: A convertible.
F
Fascia: The body-skin panel at the front of the car.Fender
Fender (vehicle)
Fender is the US English term for the part of an automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle body that frames a wheel well . Its primary purpose is to prevent sand, mud, rocks, liquids, and other road spray from being thrown into the air by the rotating tire. Fenders are typically rigid and can be...
(wings, UK): Term for cowl covering the wheels of the vehicles. In more modern automobiles, this refers generally to the body panel or panels starting at the front "bumper" to the first door line excluding the engine hood. The opposite of the fender is the "quarter panel
Quarter panel
On an automobile, a quarter panel is usually considered the body panel that covers the section between the rear door and the trunk; however, the front section, between the door and wrapping around the hood, is also considered a quarter panel...
".
Frame-on-rail: A design used in older (pre-unibody) cars, trucks, and SUVs. The power train and body are mounted to a rigid structural framework called a rail.
G
Gill: A vent on the side of the fender that can be used as hot-air outlet, but usually decorative.Greenhouse: The glassed-in upper section of the car's body. Daylight Opening (DLO) in turn describes the actual window areas only.
H
Hardtop: a coupe or sedan lacking a center window post between the front windshield post and the rearmost window post or body section.Header: (1) The structural roof beam above the windshield. (2) The section of exhaust piping attached to the cylinder head
Cylinder head
In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head sits above the cylinders on top of the cylinder block. It closes in the top of the cylinder, forming the combustion chamber. This joint is sealed by a head gasket...
.
Hofmeister kink
Hofmeister kink
The Hofmeister kink is an automobile design feature seen on modern BMWs. It is a low forward bend in the C-pillar of the car, which is the piece of metal that separates the rear side windows from the rear glass...
: BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
's trademark reverse-sweep kick at the bottom of last roof pillar.
HP (Hip Point or H-point
H-point
In vehicle design and especially automotive design, the H-point is the theoretical, relative location of an occupant's hip, specifically the pivot point between the torso and upper leg portions of the body, either relative to the floor of the vehicle or relative to the height above pavement level...
): A conceptual plane parallel with ground that aligns to the vehicle passengers' hip/thigh join. This helps to describe the "seat" height of a vehicle design, relative to either the ground or the vehicle floor.
Hood (Bonnet in English speaking countries outside North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
with the exception of the Canadian Maritimes): The engine cover on vehicles when the engine is located forward or aft of the passenger compartment.
I
IP: Instrument Panel. The Dashboard is termed as Instrument Panel in Automotive Industries, sometimes this term is confused with the Instrument Cluster that is the group of speedometer, odometer and similar devices generally behind the steering wheel.N
NACA ductNACA duct
A NACA duct also sometimes called a NACA scoop or NACA Inlet, is a common form of low-drag air inlet design, originally developed by the U.S. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics , the precursor to NASA, in 1945....
: A distinctively shaped inlet that is flush and begins with a narrow, shallow inset and becomes progressively wider and deeper.
O
OverhangOverhang (automotive)
Overhangs are the lengths of a car, at the front and rear, which extend beyond the wheelbase. They are normally described as front overhang and rear overhang. Practicality, style, and performance are affected by the size and weight of overhangs....
: The distance which the car's body extends beyond the wheelbase at the front (front overhang) and rear (rear overhang). In car style design terms, this is the amount of body that is beyond the wheels or wheel arches.
P
Phaeton: An open vehicle, usually with 4 doors, with a removable and/or retractable cloth top and a windshield characterized by the lack of integrated glass side windows. Contemporary uses of this name do not always follow this original description or apply to an open vehicle.Pillar
Pillar (car)
Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
: A structural member that connects the roof to the body of the car. Pillars are usually notated from front to back alphabetically (e.g. A-pillar joins the windshield to the frontmost side windows, B-pillar is next to the front occupants' heads, etc.).
- US DOT TermUnited States Department of TransportationThe United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
: Means any structure, excluding glazing and the vertical portion of door window frames, but including accompanying molding, attached components such as safety belt anchorages and coat hooks, that (1) supports either a roof or any other structure (such as a roll-bar) above the driver's head or (2) is located along a side edge of a window.
Plenum
Plenum
Plenum may refer to:* Plenum chamber, a chamber intended to contain air, gas, or liquid at positive pressure* Plenism, or Horror vacui...
: The area at the base of the windshield where the wipers are parked. Also refers to the main chamber in an intake manifold.
Ponton styling
Ponton (automobile)
Ponton or Pontoon styling refers to a 1930s-1960s design genre — ultimately the precursor of modern automotive styling. The trend emerged as distinct running boards and fully articulated fenders became less common and bodywork began to enclose the full width and uninterrupted length of a car...
: a 1930s–1960s design genre when distinct running board
Running board
A running board is a car or truck accessory part, a narrow step fitted under the side doors of the vehicle. It aids entry, especially into high vehicles. Typical of vintage cars which had much higher ground clearances than today's cars, it is also used as a fashion statement on vehicles that would...
s and fully articulated fenders
Fender (vehicle)
Fender is the US English term for the part of an automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle body that frames a wheel well . Its primary purpose is to prevent sand, mud, rocks, liquids, and other road spray from being thrown into the air by the rotating tire. Fenders are typically rigid and can be...
became less common and bodywork began to enclose the full width and uninterrupted length of a car in a markedly bulbous, slab-sided fashion.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle , plug-in hybrid vehicle , or plug-in hybrid is a hybrid vehicle which utilizes rechargeable batteries, or another energy storage device, that can be restored to full charge by connecting a plug to an external electric power source...
: A hybrid vehicle
Hybrid vehicle
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
that can be plugged into the electric grid to recharge its battery to reduce gasoline usage.
Powertrain
Powertrain
In a motor vehicle, the term powertrain or powerplant refers to the group of components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the engine, transmission, drive shafts, differentials, and the final drive...
: All the components that generate power and deliver it to the tires.
Q
Quarter-panel: (or rear quarter panel) refers to the panel at the back sides starting at the rear edge of the rearmost doors, bordered by at top by the trunk (boot) lid and at bottom by the rear wheel arches ending at the rear bumper. This is the opposite of the fender.- Literally, the term originally referred to the rear quarter or the car's length.
R
Rake: The tilt of a windshield. An extremely low or flat rake angle is considered to be "fast", as in fastbackFastback
A fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans.-History:...
. Note that a "steeply raked" windscreen is close to horizontal.
Roadster: An open vehicle, usually with 2 doors, with a removable and/or retractable cloth top and a windshield characterized by the lack of integrated glass side windows. Contemporary uses of this name do not always follow this original description.
Rocker: The body section below the base of the door openings sometimes called the "rocker panels", or "sills".
Rocker Rail: Body armor protecting the Rocker, found mostly in off road vehicles. Term coined by engineers at MetalCloak.
S
ScoopHood scoop
A bonnet/hood scoop is an upraised component on the hood of an automobile that either allows a flow of air to directly enter the engine compartment, or appears to do so. It has only one opening and is closed on all other sides...
: Inset or protusion that implies the intake of air. May be functional for cooling/ventilation or purely ornamental.
Scowling headlamps: Headlamps styled along a V-shape as viewed from the front, giving the impression of a scowl
Frown
A frown is a facial expression in which the eyebrows are brought together, and the forehead is wrinkled, usually indicating displeasure, sadness or worry, or less often confusion or concentration....
.
Shooting-brake
Shooting-brake
Shooting-brake, shooting brake or shooting break is a term for a car body style that has evolved through several distinct meanings over its history....
: Once a vehicle designed to carry hunters and sportmen; now a station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
or vehicle combining features of a station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
and a coupe
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
.
Shoulder line: The line or "shoulder" formed by the meeting of top and side surfaces extending from hood/fender shoulder to boot-lid/quarter-panel shoulder. The strongest example of this feature can be found on more modern of Volvo Cars
Volvo Cars
Volvo Car Corporation, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish automobile manufacturer founded in 1927, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Volvo was originally formed as a subsidiary company to the ball bearing maker SKF. When Volvo AB was introduced on the Swedish...
.
Sill line: Imaginary line drawn following the bottom edge of the greenhouse glass.
Six line: A line extending from the C-pillar down and around the rear wheel well.
Softtop: a convertible top which is made out of flexible materials like PVC
Polyvinyl chloride
Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups having one hydrogen replaced by chloride. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in...
or textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
.
Spoiler
Spoiler (automotive)
A spoiler is an automotive aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion. Spoilers on the front of a vehicle are often called air dams, because in addition to directing air flow they also reduce the amount of air...
: A raised lip or wing which is used to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across the body. Some designs are more functional than others.
Staggered wheel fitment: The front and rear wheels are different widths. On sporty rear wheel drive cars, the rear tires are usually wider than the front.
Strake: Crease in the sheet metal intended as a "speed line" styling feature. Exemplified in the doors of the Ferrari Testarossa
Ferrari Testarossa
The Ferrari Testarossa is a 12-cylinder mid-engine sports car manufactured by Ferrari, which went into production in 1984 as the successor to the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer...
.
Suicide door
Suicide door
A suicide door is a car door hinged on the trailing edge, the edge closer to the rear of the vehicle. Such doors are rarely used on vehicles in modern times because of their disadvantages....
: rear-hinged type, opening from the front of the car. If accidentally opened while driving at a high speed, doors would be blown backward.
Swage line: Crease or curvature in the side of the body used to create visual drama. Sometimes the crease is functional and improves rigidity of the outer body (interchangeable with character line).
T
Track: The distance across the car between the base of the left and right wheels. (Like wheelbase, but side to side.)Truck: A typically large vehicle built using frame-on-rail construction consisting of a cab and a separate bed for cargo.
Trunk: (Boot in UK) Compartment for storage of cargo which is separate from the cab.
Tube Fender
Tube Fender
Tube Fender is the US English term for the part of an off-road vehicle body that frames a wheel well front and rear while providing heavy duty protection for the rest of the vehicle body....
: Replacement fenders found on off road vehicles designed as part of body armor for off road vehicles. Used to protect the thin sheet metal bodies from damage while off-roading.
Tumblehome (tumble home): Generally refers to the way the sides of a car rounds inward toward the roof, specifically of the greenhouse above the beltline. This term is borrowed from nautical description of naval vessels.
Turn under: The shape of the rocker panel as it curves inward at the lower edge.
W
Wedge: Shape of the car as seen in the side profile. May be positive, negative or neutral. If the front is lower than the rear, then it is wedge-positive. If the rear is lower it is wedge-negative. If the car appears level from front to rear, then it is wedge neutral.Wheel arch: The visible opening in the side of a car allowing access to the wheel.
Wheelbase: The distance front to back measured from where the front and rear wheels meet the ground.
Wheel well (or bucket): The enclosure or space for the wheel.
Windshield Trim: US DOT Term
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
: Molding of any material between the windshield glazing and the exterior roof surface, including material that covers a part of either the windshield glazing or exterior roof surface.
Wings: See Fender.