Automobile Terms

New Terms• Chassis• Power Train• Body • Wheel Base• Ground Clearance• GVW• Track• Engine• Horsepower• Torque• Displacement

Chassis

• The structure on which all other parts are mounted, including steering, suspension and brake systems.

Either frame or uni-body design.

1959 Bel Air crash test video

• Full Frame

• Unibody construction

Power Train

• Consists of the engine, transmission, and other parts which move the car.

Body

• Includes the passenger compartment, engine compartment, doors, fenders, interior, seats etc.

Wheel Base

the distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel.

Track

• the distance between the centreline of two wheels on the same axle.

Ground Clearance

• shortest distance between the road surface, and any part of a vehicle.

GVW

• Gross Vehicle Weight = weight of a vehicle including the chassis, body, engine, fuel, accessories, driver, passengers and cargo.

Engine

• Machine which changes heat energy contained in gasoline to motion which turns the wheels and moves the car.

Horsepower

• A unit of measurement of the rate at which work is done compared to how much work a draft horse can do.

Torque

• torque can be thought of as a twist to an object.

Displacement

• the volume inside the cylinders of an engine. Commonly specified in cubic centimeters (cc), liters (l), or cubic inches.

The End