Shop Press

Shop Press is the news and idea hub for everything related to working on cars and trucks, focusing on repair, technology, and wrenching lifestyle.

From the creative minds at:

FEATURE STORY

Hot Off the Press

The pros (and more than a few cons) of chrome

My Shop Press colleague Lemmy and I have had an ongoing debate about chrome. Since I’m a lover of antique cars, particularly Tri-Five Chevys, you can guess that I’m a pretty big fan of chrome. I think it makes any car look luxurious and stylish. Lemmy, on the other...

PSA: Make sure your Loctite isn’t fake!

Loctite’s threadlocking compounds are used by automotive professionals everywhere to secure critical fasteners. Unfortunately, Loctite's popularity has resulted in a wave of counterfeit products that can look remarkably like the real deal. Everything from the bottle,...

TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: Can you identify these dash lights? (VIDEO)

Description Think you know your dash lights? Shop Press contributors Keith, Miriam, Chris, and Greaser try their best to identify all kinds of lights, symbols, and indicators. Some are easy, others obscure, and a few are even fakes. How many can you identify?

Dash warning lights: feature or bug?

Warning lights are something we’re all familiar with—all too often, they’re the reason a customer steps into your shop. Mechanics of a certain age will remember a time when the phrase “idiot light” was used to describe a dash light. The derisive term referred to the...

What kind of car is that? A primer on esoteric body styles.

by | Apr 19, 2022

We all deal with various body styles daily. I remember asking, “Lumina car or Lumina van?” in my salad days on the parts counter because I badly needed to know the body style for things like, say, a set of wiper blades. We all know the easy ones—sedan, convertible, pick-‘em-up truck, but here are a few less-well-known body styles (and related terms) in no particular order to help you on Trivia Night at the bar.

Bustleback

This is a vehicle style where the trunk is suggested as a separate “box” than the rear of the vehicle, as though the rear of the car has a very vertical rear bodyline (which the trunk line often mimics). The most well-known modern interpretations are still rather old, but you likely are familiar with the 1980-1985 Cadillac Seville, 1981-1983 Chrysler Imperial, or the 1982-1987 Lincoln Continental.

Bustleback

Illustration by Josh Seasholtz.

Cabriolet

Another name for a convertible.

Deck van

The deck van is a van with a small open bed and no roof where the rearmost row of seats would normally be found. This body style is notably popular in Japan. Daihatsu Hijet deck vans are a good example.

Deck van

Illustration by Josh Seasholtz.

Shooting brake

A bit fluid in terms of definition, the shooting brake is probably most succinctly defined as a two-door station wagon. Roomier than a coupe (especially in terms of passenger head room), they usually have fairly long hoods. The 1998-2003 BMW Z3 Coupé is a fairly recent example of a shooting brake.

Shooting brake

Illustration by Josh Seasholtz.

Hardtop

Traditionally a hardtop was either a two- or four-door car that did not have a full-height B-pillar (or none at all), not to be confused with a coupe or sedan. Later the term was applied to convertibles with non-textile tops that could retract into the car itself.

Hardtop

Illustration by Josh Seasholtz.

Berlinetta

This is a coupe with back seats. They’re sometimes called “2+2” cars, but there are a lot of coupes that meet this definition, which may explain why the term isn’t used often.

Saloon

What Europeans call a sedan.

Pony car

A pony car is a style that’s remained relatively unchanged over the years, so it’s reasonably specific. Pony cars are sporty two-door cars with a long nose, short deck, and rear wheel drive that can move four people around. Examples include the Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang.

Pony car

Illustration by Josh Seasholtz.

Kei vehicle

A class of ultra-compact vehicles built for Japanese roads that are taxed less aggressively than large vehicles. They are generally rather slow as their engines are small, well below one liter of displacement.

Kei truck

Illustration by Josh Seasholtz.

Estate wagon

What Europeans call a station wagon.

Hopefully at least one of those was new to you and you walk away a bit smarter. Of course, many of these definitions have changed shape over the years, much like the cars they describe. And, of course, when you know the rules, it makes arguing for or against them that much easier, and I expect at least someone will be along to tell me that they think the Dodge Magnum is a shooting brake (it’s not) or that a hardtop ‘vert doesn’t count as a hardtop (it does).

The articles and other content contained on this site may contain links to third party websites. By clicking them, you consent to Dorman’s Website Use Agreement.

Shop Press Comment Policy

Participation in this forum is subject to Dorman’s Website Terms & Conditions. Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline feedback
View all comments

RECENT ARTICLES

Get Articles In Your Inbox

Subscribe to receive a monthly email summary of our latest Shop Press stories.

Shop Press

I agree to the above privacy statement and T&Cs

Thanks! You're now subscribed.