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A glossary of terms relating to automotive design. Some terms may be found at car classification. 0–9 ; One-box form: A categorization based on overall form design using rough rectangle volumes. In the case of the one-box, also called a monospace or monovolume, it is a single continuous volume. Slight wedge formed front or rear are still generally placed in this category. E.g. buses and the original Ford Econoline. The equivalent French term is ''volume'', which will sometimes be used by the British: "1-volume form". ;Two-box form: A categorization based on overall form design using rough rectangle volumes. In the case of the two-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 will sometimes be used by the British: "2-volume form". ;Three-box form: A categorization based on overall form des ...
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Automotive Design
Automotive design is the process of developing the appearance (and to some extent the ergonomics) of motor vehicles - including automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans. The functional design and development of a modern motor vehicle is typically done by a large team from many different disciplines also included within automotive engineering, however, design roles are not associated with requirements for professional- or chartered-engineer qualifications. Automotive design in this context focuses primarily on developing the visual appearance or aesthetics of vehicles, while also becoming involved in the creation of product concepts. Automotive design as a professional vocation is practiced by designers who may have an art background and a degree in industrial design or in transportation design. For the terminology used in the field, see the glossary of automotive design. Design elements The task of the design team is usually split into three main a ...
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Butterfly Doors
Butterfly doors are a type of car door sometimes seen on high-performance cars. They are slightly different from scissor doors. While scissor doors move straight up via hinge points at the bottom of a car's A-pillar, butterfly doors move up and out via hinges along the A-pillar. This makes for easier entry and exit, at the expense of requiring more clearance than needed for scissor doors. Instances Butterfly doors were first seen in the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale of 1967.This Is the Vintage Alfa Romeo That Inspired the New 8CThis Is the Vintage Alfa Romeo That Inspired the New 8C accessdate: 15. June 2019 These doors were commonly used in Group C and IMSA GTP prototypes, as they preserved the aerodynamic shape of the canopy while allowing the driver to enter and exit the car more quickly than conventional and gullwing doors. The Toyota Sera, made between 1990 and 1995, was a limited-release car designed exclusively for the Japanese market and the first mass-produced vehicle w ...
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Quarter Panel
A quarter panel (British English: rear wing) is the body panel (exterior surface) of an automobile between a rear door (or only door on each side for two-door models) and the trunk (boot) and typically wraps around the wheel well. The similar front section between the door and the hood (bonnet) is called a fender (front wing), and may sometimes also be referred to as a quarter panel. Quarter panels are typically made of sheet metal, but are sometimes made of fiberglass, carbon fiber, or fiber-reinforced plastic. A quarter panel is typically a welded-on component of the unibody structure. Replacement of a sheet metal quarter panel typically requires it to be cut off the vehicle and a replacement part to be welded (or sometimes bonded) to the vehicle. Due to the high amount of specialized labor, a quarter panel may often be repaired rather than replaced by hammering the damaged area to a relatively flat surface and then applying a body filler to smooth out the damaged area to ...
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Fender (vehicle)
Fender is the American English term for the part of an automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle body that frames a wheel well (the fender underside). 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 damaged by contact with the road surface. Sticky materials, such as mud, may adhere to the smooth outer tire surface, while smooth loose objects, such as stones, can become temporarily embedded in the tread grooves as the tire rolls over the ground. These materials can be ejected from the surface of the tire at high velocity as the tire imparts kinetic energy to the attached objects. For a vehicle moving forward, the top of the tire is rotating upward and forward, and can throw objects into the air at other vehicles or pedestrians in front of the vehicle. In British English, the fender is called the wing. (This may refer to either the front or rear fenders. Ho ...
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Fastback
A fastback is an automotive styling feature, defined by the rear of the car having a single slope from the roof to the tail. The kammback is a type of fastback style. Some models, such as the Ford Mustang, have been specifically marketed as fastbacks, often to differentiate them from other body styles (e.g. coupe models) in the same model range. The ''4-door coupe'' is a common branding term used today to describe fastback sedans. Definition A fastback is often defined as having a single slope from the roof to the rear of the vehicle. The term "fastback" is not interchangeable with "liftback"; the former describes the shape of the car, and the latter refers to a roof-hinged tailgate that lifts more upwards than rearwards. More specifically, '' Road & Track'' have defined the fastback as A closed body style, usually a coupe but sometimes a sedan, with a roof sloped gradually in an unbroken line from the windshield to the rear edge of the car. A fastback naturally le ...
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Front Mid-engine, Rear-wheel Drive Layout
In automotive engineering, a mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of the rear-wheel axles, but behind the front axle. History The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive format can be considered the original layout of automobiles. A 1901 Autocar was the first gasoline-powered automobile to use a drive shaft and placed the engine under the seat. This pioneering vehicle is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution. Benefits Mounting the engine in the middle instead of the front of the vehicle puts more weight over the rear tires, so they have more traction and provide more assistance to the front tires in braking the vehicle, with less chance of rear-wheel lockup and less chance of a skid or spin out. If the mid-engine vehicle is also rear-drive the added weight on the rear tires can also improve acceleration on slippery surfaces, providing much of the benefit of all-wheel-drive without the added weight and expense of all-wheel-drive compo ...
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Front-engine, Front-wheel Drive Layout
In automotive design, a front-engine, front-wheel-drive (FWD) layout, or FF layout, places both the internal combustion engine and driven roadwheels at the front of the vehicle. Usage implications Historically, this designation was used regardless of whether the entire engine was behind the front axle line. In recent times, the manufacturers of some cars have added to the designation with the term '' front-mid'' which describes a car in which the engine is in front of the passenger compartment but behind the front axle. The engine positions of most pre– World-War-II cars are ''front-mid'' or on the front axle. This layout is the most traditional form and remains a popular, practical design. The engine, which takes up a great deal of space, is packaged in a location passengers and luggage typically would not use. The main deficit is weight distribution—the heaviest component is at one end of the vehicle. Car handling is not ideal, but usually predictable. In contrast wit ...
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Daytime Running Lamp
A daytime running lamp (DRL, also daytime running light) is an automotive lighting and bicycle lighting device on the front of a roadgoing motor vehicle or bicycle, automatically switched on when the vehicle's handbrake has been pulled down, when the vehicle is in gear, or when the engine is started, emitting white, yellow, or amber light. Their intended use is not to help the driver see the road or their surroundings, but to help other road users identify an active vehicle. Implementations Depending on prevailing regulations and equipment, vehicles may implement the daytime-running light function by functionally turning on specific lamps, by operating low-beam headlamps or fog lamps at full or reduced intensity, by operating high-beam headlamps at reduced intensity, or by steady-burning operation of the front turn signals. Compared to any mode of headlamp operation to produce the daytime running light, functionally dedicated DRLs maximize the potential benefits in safety perf ...
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United States Department Of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet. The department's mission is "to develop and coordinate policies that will provide an efficient and economical national transportation system, with due regard for need, the environment, and the national defense." History Prior to the creation of the Department of Transportation, its functions were administered by the under secretary of commerce for transportation. In 1965, Najeeb Halaby, administrator of the Federal Aviation Agency (predecessor to the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA), suggested to President Lyndon B. Johnson that transportation be elevated to a cabinet-level post, and that the FAA be folded into the DOT. It was established by Congress in the Department of Transportation Act ...
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Dagmar (American Actress)
Virginia Ruth "Jennie" Lewis (née Egnor; November 29, 1921 – October 9, 2001), known professionally as Dagmar, was an American actress, model, and television personality. In the 1950s, she became one of the first major female stars of television, receiving much press coverage. Early life Egnor was born in Yawkey, West Virginia, and went to high school in Huntington, West Virginia, where she was known as Ruthie. She attended Huntington Business School and worked at Walgreens as a cashier, waitress, sandwich maker, and soda jerk. After her marriage to Angelo Lewis in 1941, she moved to New York, where he was a naval officer, stationed at Navy Ferry Command on Long Island. Broadway Egnor adopted Jennie Lewis as her stage name (taken from her real-life married name, Virginia Lewis). To keep herself busy, she became a fashion photographer's model, and in 1944, other models encouraged her to audition for comedians Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson. Although she had no show business exper ...
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Dagmar Bumpers
Dagmar bumpers (also known as "bullet bumpers") is a slang term for chrome conical-shaped bumper guards that began to appear on the front bumper/grille assemblies of certain American automobiles following World War II. They reached their peak in the mid-1950s. Derivation The term evokes the prominent bosom of Dagmar, a buxom early-1950s television personality featuring low-cut gowns and conical bra cups. She was amused by the tribute. History As originally conceived by Harley Earl, GM Vice President of Design, the conical bumper guards would mimic artillery shells.10-1-2006. Fitzgerald, CraiDagmar Bumpers ''Hemmings Motor News'' Placed inboard of the headlights on front bumpers of Cadillacs, they were intended to both convey the image of a speeding projectile and protect vehicles' front ends in collisions. The similarity of these features to the then popular bullet bra as epitomized by buxom television personality Dagmar was inescapable. As the 1950s wore on and American ...
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Chrome Plating
Chrome plating (less commonly chromium plating) is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. A chrome-plated item is called ''chrome''. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease of cleaning, or increase surface hardness. Sometimes, a less expensive imitator of chrome may be used for aesthetic purposes. Process Chrome plating a component typically includes these stages: * Degreasing to remove heavy soiling * Manual cleaning to remove all residual traces of dirt and surface impurities * Various pretreatments depending on the substrate * Placement into the chrome plating vat, where it is allowed to warm to solution temperature * Application of plating current for the required time to attain the desired thickness There are many variations to this process, depending on the type of substrate being plated. Different substrates need different etching solutions, such as hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, and sulfuric acids. ...
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