(Editors Note: Tomorrow is Juneteenth in many States. The Kicker would like to honor everyone who’s free at last. Let us never take our liberty for granted and may we all march forward toward peace and a bright, unified future.)
Here’s a just-for-fun post we found at a site called Brittish Car Terminology.
| British term | American term |
| accumulator | battery |
| actuator | switch or servo |
| Artic | ‘artic’ulated lorry=semi tractor-trailer |
| baulk ring | synchro ring (transmission synchromesh) |
| bonnet | hood |
| boot | trunk |
| bulkhead | firewall |
| choke tube | venturi (carb) |
| core plug | freeze plug |
| crocodile clip | alligator clip |
| crosshead screw | Phillips head screw |
| crown wheel | ring gear(gear in differential) |
| cubby box | glove box or glove compartment |
| damper | shock absorber |
| drive shaft | half shaft or axle shaft to wheel |
| drop-head coupe | convertible (version of 2 door coupe, see roadster) |
| dumpy screwdriver | short screwdriver |
| dynamo | generator |
| earth | ground |
| estate | station wagon |
| fascia | dashboard |
| fixed-head coupe | 2 door coupe |
| frogeye | bugeye |
| Gallon (Imperial) | 4.5 US Quarts |
| gearbox | transmission |
| gudgeon pin | wrist pin |
| hood | convertible top |
| jointing compound | gasket sealant |
| lorry | truck |
| mole wrench | Vice grips |
| monocoque | unibody |
| Ministry of Transport | Department of Transportation |
| MOT (see above) | DOT (see above) |
| nave plate | hubcap |
| near side | left side. |
| nose | front of car |
| off side | right side. |
| paraffin | kerosene |
| pinking | knocking or pinging |
| prop shaft | drive shaft |
| petrol | gasoline |
| prise | pry(apply force with a lever, pry-bar, crow-bar, screwdriver) |
| proud | raised, stands above surrounding surface. |
| quarterlight | vent window – small, usually ‘triangular’ side window |
| rev counter | tachometer |
| reversing lights | back-up lights |
| ring gear | flywheel gear, or starter gear (shrink fit onto the flywheel) |
| roadster | convertible (car that comes only with a soft-top, usually a minimalist, manual, Erector-Set top* |
| roundabout | rotary, traffic circle |
| RoStyle | type of steel wheel (as opposed to wire) |
| saloon | ‘sedan’,2 or 4 door |
| scuttle | cowl |
| side curtains | removable side windows, usually flexible plastic. |
| silencer | muffler |
| sill | rocker panel |
| shooting brake | station wagon |
| spanner | wrench |
| split pin | cotter pin |
| spring washer | split lock washer (as opposed to star washer) |
| squab | part of seat |
| suction advance | vacuum advance |
| sump | oil pan |
| thrust bearing | throwout bearing |
| tick over | idle |
| top gear | high gear |
| torch | flashlight |
| trunnion | sliding or rotating joint (suspension) (pin in bore) |
| tyre | tire |
| wanker | someone who hacks on their car — usually clueless |
| wheel nut | lug nut |
| Whitworth | British thread standard (size denotes hex head size) |
| windscreen | windshield |
| wing | fender |
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