Glossary of Car Terms
- Barn Find
- A car found in long-term storage in highly original although not necessarily orderly or complete condition.
- Base coat clear coat
- A paint system that consists of several coats of a "base" color and several coats of hardened "clear." It is the clear coat that produces the depth and gloss.
- Bias Ply Tires
- Tires in which the cords or plies are wrapped around the tire in a diagonal overlapping manner. Higher rolling resistance and heat that a radial design
- Big Block
- Any large displacement optional engine. Usually over 400 ci.
- Black Plate Car
- A car still registered with its original black and yellow California plate issued in the 1960s. Indicative of a car that has always been in California
- Blue Plate Car
- A car still registered with its original blue and yellow California plate issued in the 1970s. Indicative of a car that has always been in California
- Body-Off Restoration
- A comprehensive restoration during which the body is actually removed from the chassis and every component is either replaced or renewed. Chassis and undercarriage should show to a high standard in a proper body-off restoration
- Bored
- Method of increasing the displacement of an engine by enlarging the cylinder bores
- Brightwork
- Shiny metal on the exterior of a car. Either chrome, polished stainless steel or polished aluminum.
- Chandelier bid
- An auctioneer tactic used to advance bidding that has not reached the reserve in the absence of activity on the part of an actual bidder. Not used by reputable auction houses.
- Classic
- A trademarked term of the Antique Automobile club of America. Refers to a limited number of significant pre-war (and several post-war) cars designated as "full classics"
- Clone
- A car that has been altered to appear as though it is in reality a more desirable model than it is. A clone can easily become a counterfeit depending on the seller's representations
- Coachbuilder
- Firm that was commissioned to build bodies for bare chassis. Karrosserie in German, Carrozzeria in Italian and Carrosserie in French.
- Concours
- Short for Concours d'Elegance, a judged showing of finely restored cars. Also a statement of condition. "Concours" condition is synonymous with a car in showworthy condition
- Continuation car
- A type of replica usually very accurate and involving some of the original constructors. Often serial numbered consecutive with the originals.
- Convertible
- Any open car with rollup windows.
- Convertible coupe
- An open two-door bodystyle with a well finished and lined convertible top. Europeans refer to it as a "drophead coupe."
- Convertible Sedan
- An open four-door bodystyle with a well finished and lined convertible top. Europeans refer to it as a "drophead sedan."
- COPO
- Acronym for Central Office Purchase Order- Most commonly applied to 427 ci Camaros ordered "straight from the assembly line."
- Detailing
- The process of cleaning and light refurbishing of an automobile often in preparation for show or sale.
- Displacement
- Total of the volume of each cylinder of an internal cobustion piston engine
- dohc
- Double overhead cams. A cylinder head design where the cams are located in the head and actuate the valvegear directly rather than by pushrods.Driven by chains or a belt
- Driver Quality
- A car that is a deteriorated older restoration or a cosmetically freshened but not restored car. Not showorthy but suitable to be driven and enjoyed without worry. Also referred to simply as "a driver" or "everyday driver."
- Electronic Fuel Injection
- Fuel injection system where fuel metered by means of an electronic "computer."
- Enamel
- Generally an acrylic-based paint that produces a durable high-gloss finish with minimal rubbing. Two stage or "base coat, clear coat" enamels produce an even glossier more durable finish. Extremely toxic when mixed with catalyzed hardners.
- Etceterini
- Originally a term describing Italian cars other than Fiat, Ferrari and Maserati. Now shorthand for any oddball make or model
- Flat six or flat four
- Denotes engine architecture where the cylinders are horizontally opposed and separated by a centrally located crank shaft. "Boxer" or "Pancake" are synonyms. Porsche is the most frequent proponent of this design.
- Fright Pig
- A car that is in unusually poor conditon. Implies a certain level of dishonesty to the condition as if an attempt has been made to make the car appear better than it actually is or includes poorly executed modifications or "upgrades"
- Hardtop
- Body style that did not use a B pillar creating a continuous open area when both side windows were rolled down
- Kardex
- The certificate of authenticity issued by the Porsche factory to the owner of a Porsche. States the original colors and options
- Lacquer
- A cellulose-based automotive paint favored by manufacturers until the late 1950s. Multiple coats and hand or machine rubbing produces a high gloss lacquer finishes are fragile and crack and check with age.
- Matching Numbers
- A matching numbers car is one that has all of its original numbered components intact so that they match precisely those numbers recorded by the factory in its records.
- MB Tex
- Or "Tex." Trade name of a high quality leatherette used by Mercedes Benz.
- Mechanical Fuel Injection
- Early type of fuel injection where mixture determined and fuel metered by means of mechanical pump rather than electronics. Common makers were SPICA, Bosch, Bendix and Kugelfischer
- Muscle Car
- Intermediate-sized vehicle with a large displacement, large horsepower engine. Pontiac GTO created by John Z. DeLorean among the first muscle cars. Popular in US and Australia in the 1960s and 70s.
- NART
- Acronym for North American Racing Team, applied to Ferraris campaigned by American distributor Luigi Chinetti. The "NART" Spyder was shorthand for a very limited run of 275GTB street cars specially commissioned by Chinetti as open cars.
- Nut and Bolt Restoration
- A comprehensive restoration in which every component is either replaced or renewed whether "body-off" or "rotisserie in the case of a unibody car."
- Original
- In the strictest sense of the word, all mechanical componants and surfaces of the car are unaltered from the way the car left the factory as opposed to "restored as original" in which factory finishes and surfaces are replicated as part of the restoration process
- Overhead cam
- Cylinder head design where the valve gear is actuated by chain or belt driven cams located in the top of the cylinder head rather than by pushrods. Design generally allows higher maximum revs.
- Panel Fit
- Refers to the quality of eveness of the gaps on the opening surfaces of an automobile body, ie doors, hood, trunk lid, etc.
- Phaeton
- Open four-door body style which lacks rollup side windows. Dual cowl Phaetons have two windshields
- Provenance
- An automobile's documetable history or pedigree. Always refers to a specific example rather than a marque or a model.
- Radial tires
- Tires in which the cords or plies are wrapped around the tire at a ninety degree angle
- Redline
- Maximum safe revolutions per minute recommended by the manufacturer. Usually indicated by a red marking on the tachometer.
- Replicar
- An amalgam of the words "replica" and "car." A modern recreation or simulation of any historic or collectible car. Most replicars are sold as what they are with no attempt to deceive.
- Roadster
- An open two-seater generally with side-curtains instead of rollup windows
- Rotisserie Restoration
- Restoration usually undertaken on a unibody car in which the bare tub is attached to a rotating "rotisserie" so that the undeside can be refurbished to the same standard as the upper sufaces of the car
- RPM
- Revolutions per minute. A measure of engine crankshaft speed.
- Shill bid
- A bid procured by a seller at an auction soley to increase the price paid by the sucessful bidder. Stricly illegal.
- Side Curtains
- Weather protection on an open car in lieu of rollup windows consisting of removable plastic sliding widows attached via sockets in the tops of doors.
- sohc
- Single overhead cam.
- Speedster
- Open car body style that usually has a rudimentary top low windshield and limited weather protection
- Stroked
- Method of increasing the displacement of an engine by increasing the stroke of the piston
- Trailer Queen
- A car usually restored to a very high standard that is seldom driven and most often trailered to shows
- Turbo
- Short for "turbosupercharger" an exhaust gas driven forced induction system designed to increase horsepower without increasing displacement or fuel consumption
- Unibody
- A car constructed in a manner where the body and floorpan form a single structural unit as opposed to a separate body and frame car.
- Whale Tail
- Aerodynamic device appended to the engine lid of a Porsche 911 Turbo. Also called a rear spoiler.
- Wire Wheels
- Road wheels that consist of a rim and center hub laced with "wire" spokes. Ususally secured by a single center lock nut or "knockoff."
- Yenko
- Don Yenko, a legendary Pennsylvania Chevrolet tuner famous for his Camaro and Corvair Specials
- Bonnet
- Hood
- Boot
- Trunk
- Cellulose
- Lacquer
- Five star petrol
- Leaded premium gasoline
- Hood
- Convertible top
- Hood cover
- Boot
- Hood sticks
- Convertible top frame
- MoT
- Safety Inspection
- Punter
- Bidder or buyer (connotes one who is somewhat uninformed)
- Scuttle
- Cowl
- Shunt
- An accident. Usually racing-related
- Spanner
- Wrench
- Tappets
- Valves
- Two pack paint
- Base coat clear coat paint
- Windscreen
- Windshield
- Wing
- Fender
SCM Quick Links
- Popular Topics
- Collector Car Profiles
- SCM Slideshows
- Affordable Classics
- The Marketplace
- Auction & Event Calendar
- Million Dollar Sales
- Cars for Sale
- Research Center
- SCM University
- KM Buyer's Guides
- KM On Collecting series
- Market Analysis
- The SCM Community
- SCM Services and Subscriptions
- Advertise with SCM
- Contests and Games
- Crossword Puzzle
- Vodcasts & Slideshows
