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| gasoline | a viscous fluid refined from crude oil which is made up of fossilized plant and animal remains and burned in internal combustion engines | |
 GMGeneral Motors |
a major car company. Divisions are Chevrolet, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Saturn, GMC, Buick, and Pontiac. | |
| Governor | a device used with the carburetor to maintain constant engine speed regardless of load | |
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Hatchback |
a car with the lack of an enclosed trunk. The whole rear window lifts up with the deck lid. | |
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Headlights |
a clear set of lights at the front of the car so the driver can see in the dark. | |
| Hood | the sheet metal covering the engine (Br) a convertible top |
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| Horsepower (hP) | a measure of mechanical power determined by work and its relations to time, a direct result of torque and engine speed; the amount of energy required to lift 550 pounds, one foot, in one second. Therefore the higher the horsepower of the vehicle, the more mass it can move or the more powerful it is. | |
| iFS | independent front suspension |
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Insignia |
the symbol a company uses - i.e. Ford's blue oval, Chevrolet's Bowtie, Oldsmobile's rocket, Cadillac's wreath, and the Chrysler - Dodge - Plymouth's pentastar, etc. | |
| intake manifold | tubing attached to the engine through which the air/fuel mixture reaches the cylinder | |
| iRS | independent rear suspension | |
| ignition system | Electrical system devised to produce timed sparks from engine spark plugs. Consisting of a battery, induction coil, capacitor, distributor, spark plugs and relevant switches and wiring | |
| laminated windshield glass | the windshield contains a plastic laminate (coating) which keeps pieces of broken glass from being disbursed into the passenger compartment during an accident. It can also contain a tint to reduce heat in the passenger compartment and protect the eyes from glare (like sunglasses.) | |
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Limo |
Short for limousine. A car with a permanently enclosed compartment for 3-5 persons. Or a large luxury vehicle. | |
| lip molding | ornamental bright trim that outlines and visually reinforces a fender wheel opening. Also called wheel molding. | |
| Louvers | a series of slits in the body of a vehicle that allows the air in and out. Also used on body panels for decoration. | |
| lubrication | four-stroke engines continuously circulate oil which lubricates and cools the engine. Two-stroke engines use separate oil to lubricate the transmission and the crankcase/piston | |
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Make |
the company who built the car. For example - Lincoln, Mercury, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Plymouth, Buick, etc. | |
| Marker Lights | the lights mounted on the fenders of a car that mark its outside boundaries and corners. | |
| Marque | (Fr) (pronounced "Mark") a make or brand of car |
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| master cylinder | holds the brake fluid for a disc brake system | |
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Model |
the name of the car. For example, Sable, Continental, Grand Am, etc. | |
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Monochromatic Taillights |
taillights that have a red brake/turn signal lens. Usually found on American cars. See taillights. | |
| Mother-in-law Seat | a single seat attached to the back of a two seater car, the forerunner of the rumble seat. It can also denote a seat placed on the opposite side of the car from the driver | |
| muffler | a part of the exhaust system that eliminates noise | |
| Muffler-cut-out | a valve located on the exhaust pipe between the engine and the muffler. When opened it allowed exhaust gas to pass directly to the open air which made a great noise and slightly increased power | |
| Muscle Car | a stock vehicle with greater than usual horsepower | |
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Nameplate |
the make or model displayed in lettering (or symbol) on the outside or inside of the car. For example - Ford Escort. Ford is the make and Escort is the model. Either one can be a nameplate. | |
| odometer | an instrument for measuring the distance traveled by a vehicle | |
| pillar | a structural, upright body that separates the doors or windows | |
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Plastic Composite Headlights |
Headlights that use a replaceable bulb, but the lens is fixed to the car to make it more aerodynamic. American cars adopted this technology from the foreign cars in the mid-1980s. Chrysler used it around 1985, Ford used it around 1986, and GM used it around 1987. Also known as a "flush headlight". | |
| pneumatic tire | flexible, hollow rubber forming the outer part of the vehicle wheel and inflated by air pressure |
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| prototype | a realistic, sometimes functional, full-sized, three-dimensional representation of an entire car made prior to production | |
| Quarter Panel | the part of a car body-side that is comprised of the rear fender from the rear door opening to the back of the car | |
| Quarter Window | a small, usually movable glass pane located next to a larger window that directs the air into, or out of, the interior | |
| RPM (Revolutions per minute) | the number of times an object, such as a tire, completely rotates in the time frame of one minute. | |
| radiator | the device through which air passes to cool a single system in a car. Normally, it is used to cool engine coolant. Conversely it can cool engine oil. In the case of a turbocharged car, a radiator cools the air being forced into the engine and is called an intercooler | |
| rear deck panel | the sheet metal panel extending from the bottom of the rear window to the rear panel and enclosing the cutout for the trunk lid, extending sideways to the top of both rear fenders. In some cases, this panel covers only the area between the bottom of the rear window and the front edge of the trunk lid. |
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Reverse Lights |
a set of lights at the rear of the car that indicates the vehicle is going in reverse, The bulb lights through a white lens. |
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| Rumble Seat (RS) | an auxiliary seat in a roadster for one or two passengers, situated
outside the main passenger compartment & sometimes furnished with a
separate, shallow windshield but otherwise open to the elements. (Br) dickey |
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RWD Rear Wheel Drive |
the car's two rear wheels are being driven by the engine. | |
| SAE | Society of Automotive Engineers | |
| saloon | (Br) - 2 or 4 door sedan | |
| scoop | an area of the body that is open-fronted and designed to let air in | |
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Sealed Beam Headlights |
a headlight, either round (1920-1979) or rectangle (1974-1987), that has the lens and bulb in one fixture. | |
| Sedan | a car with a enclosed trunk, a back seat, and seats four or more persons. Also called a "Saloon" in other countries. | |
| Side Curtains | removable side windows | |
| sidewall | the most visible part of the tire when viewing the vehicle from either side. The sidewall contains information about the tire size, grade, and ratings as well as the manufacturer’s name |
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| silencer | (Br) muffler | |
| Station Wagon | a sedan with an extended roof and a cargo area. Also called a "Vista", "Estate", "Wagon", or "Cruiser". | |
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Sub-Model |
the name that comes after a model name. For example, Cutlass Ciera. Ciera is the sub-model. | |
| suicide door | a rear hinged door, typically for the front door. At speed any chance opening would cause the door to whip backward with great force | |
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