Glossary of Automotive Design - P

P

Phaeton

An open vehicle, usually with 4 doors, with a removable and/or retractable cloth top and a windshield characterized by the lack of integrated glass side windows. Contemporary uses of this name do not always follow this original description or apply to an open vehicle.

Pillar

A structural member that connects the roof to the body of the car. Pillars are usually notated from front to back alphabetically (e.g. A-pillar joins the windshield to the frontmost side windows, B-pillar is next to the front occupants' heads, etc.).

US DOT Term: Means any structure, excluding glazing and the vertical portion of door window frames, but including accompanying molding, attached components such as safety belt anchorages and coat hooks, that (1) supports either a roof or any other structure (such as a roll-bar) above the driver's head or (2) is located along a side edge of a window.

Plenum

The area at the base of the windshield where the wipers are parked. Also refers to the main chamber in an intake manifold.

Ponton styling

a 1930s–1960s design genre when distinct running boards and fully articulated fenders became less common and bodywork began to enclose the full width and uninterrupted length of a car in a markedly bulbous, slab-sided fashion.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

A hybrid vehicle that can be plugged into the electric grid to recharge its battery to reduce gasoline usage.

Powertrain

All the components that generate power and deliver it to the tires.