2010 Ford Mustang
Back in the 1950s, automotive stylists referred to the projectile shapes bulging from car bumpers as "dagmars" after a busty actress of the time. These days, the names car designers give to parts of the cars aren't always as imaginative and, in many cases, are rather obscure.
Here are the terms used by car designers in styling studios around the world. Use a couple at auto shows this spring and you'll sound like a car maven.
Beltline: The line underneath the side windows of the car.
Cant rail: The structural piece that forms the edge of the door frame.
Character line: A line or crease that adds definition and personality to the car's design.
Cheater panel: A small, triangular, usually matte black piece that fills the leading or trailing edge of the side glass.
Crown: A panel with compound curve, providing both stiffness and a bit of styling.
DLO: Short for "Day Light Opening," it refers to the shape of a vehicle's side glass and is among the car's most distinctive characteristics.
Down the Road Graphics (or DRG): The "face" of a car, enabling it to be recognized from a distance.
Fenders: Panels that wrap or cover road wheels. SUVs still possess identifiable fenders, while car fenders are integrated into the body.
Firewall: The panel separating the engine compartment from the passenger compartment.
Greenhouse: The part of the passenger compartment that sits on the bodywork.
Haunch: Where the shoulder of the car flows into the rear fender accenting the rear wheel.
Light: Another name for side windows, before the advent of DLO.
Lightlines: The reflected light that runs along a surface, highlighting its form.
Mohican line: The strips that run where the body side meets the roof panel.
Overhang: The parts of a car ahead of the front wheels and behind the rear wheels. Lincoln Town Cars have an extreme rear overhang.
Pillars: These structural members are used to hold the doors, support the roof, protect the occupants and visually frame the windows. They are lettered front to rear, from A through D.
2010 Volvo XC60
Platform: The car's architecture over which sheet metal and glass are clad.
Screen angle: The angle that the windshield slopes back from vertical, measured at the center. A Ferrari has an extreme screen angle; the Ford Model T doesn't.
Shoulder: The shape that runs the length of a car's body where it folds over to meet the side windows. Volvos have prominent shoulders.
Shut line: The gap between two body panels or interior trim panels. The tighter fit usually suggests better craftsmanship.
Tumblehome: Similar to a screen angle, but denotes the inward curve of the side of a car's greenhouse.
Wheel arch: The circular shape that frames the road wheels.
Leave a comment