Greenhouse (automotive term)
Encyclopedia
The greenhouse of a car
comprises the windshield
, rear and side windows, the more or less vertical pillars
separating them (designated A-pillar, B-pillar and so on, starting from the car's front), and the car's roof.
The shape and position of the greenhouse have a defining influence on the looks of the car and are a prime factor in differentiating between body styles such as saloon/sedan, coupé
, estate/wagon
, hatchback
etc.
Some manufacturers incorporate trademark design features in the greenhouse that are present across several model series, one example being the BMW
Hofmeister kink
.
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
comprises the windshield
Windshield
The windshield or windscreen of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike or tram is the front window. Modern windshields are generally made of laminated safety glass, a type of treated glass, which consists of two curved sheets of glass with a plastic layer laminated between them for safety, and are glued...
, rear and side windows, the more or less vertical pillars
Pillar (car)
Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
separating them (designated A-pillar, B-pillar and so on, starting from the car's front), and the car's roof.
The shape and position of the greenhouse have a defining influence on the looks of the car and are a prime factor in differentiating between body styles such as saloon/sedan, coupé
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
, estate/wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
, hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
etc.
Some manufacturers incorporate trademark design features in the greenhouse that are present across several model series, one example being the BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
Hofmeister kink
Hofmeister kink
The Hofmeister kink is an automobile design feature seen on modern BMWs. It is a low forward bend in the C-pillar of the car, which is the piece of metal that separates the rear side windows from the rear glass...
.
Further reading
- Eckermann, Erik (2001). World history of the automobile, SAE, ISBN 9780768008005