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A decrepit car is a
car A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
that is often old and damaged and is in a barely functional state. There are many
slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and usage (language), linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of p ...
terms used to describe such cars, the more popular including junk car, beater, clunker, hooptie, jalopy, shitbox, junker, and banger. Age, neglect, and damage tend to increase the expense of maintaining a vehicle. The vehicle may reach a point where this expense would be considered to outweigh the value of keeping it. Such vehicles are generally stripped for parts or abandoned. However, abandoning a vehicle on the road as a parked car is illegal in many jurisdictions and if a vehicle remains parked, the local authority commonly tows it to the
scrapyard A wrecking yard (Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard ( Irish, British and New Zealand English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are bro ...
. Some owners choose to keep the vehicle. These old, neglected, and oftentimes barely functional cars have been used not only for transport, but also as
racing In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific go ...
vehicles. Their use has earned them a place in
popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in ...
.


History

During the 1930s, particularly in the wake of the Great Depression, the market for
used cars ''Used Cars'' is a 1980 American satirical black comedy film co-written and directed by Robert Zemeckis. The story follows Rudy Russo ( Kurt Russell), a devious salesman, working for affable, but monumentally unsuccessful used-car dealer Luke ...
first started to grow and decrepit cars were often a poor man's form of transport. Cheap dealers could obtain the cars for very little, make aesthetic adjustments, and sell the car for much more. Early
hot rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimised for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and made ...
ders also purchased decrepit cars as the basis for racers, and early stock car racing was called '' banger racing'' in the United Kingdom and ''jalopy racing'' in the United States. A jalopy was an old-style class of stock car racing in America, often raced on
dirt Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include: * Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains * Dust: a genera ...
ovals. It was originally a beginner class behind
midgets Midget (from ''midge'', a tiny biting insect) is a term for a person of unusually short stature that is considered by some to be pejorative due to its etymology. While not a medical term like "dwarfism", a medical condition with a number of ...
, but vehicles became more expensive with time. Jalopy races began in the 1930s and ended in the 1960s. The race car needed to be from before around 1941. Notable racers include
Parnelli Jones Rufus Parnell Jones (born August 12, 1933) is an American former professional racing driver and racing team owner. He is notable for his accomplishments while competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Baja 1000 desert race. In 1962, he became t ...
. In the 1960s, the Ministry Of Transport Test (MOT) was introduced, in an effort to increase road safety. Many decrepit cars that were missing important parts such as functioning brakes and lights failed the MOT and were scrapped, ending the age of the decrepit car in England. File:Beater Nissan.jpg, A decrepit car. File:Joshua Tree - Love car.jpg, Jalopy car in
Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree National Park is an American national park in southeastern California, east of San Bernardino and Los Angeles and north of Palm Springs. It is named after the Joshua trees (''Yucca brevifolia'') native to the Mojave Desert. Original ...
in Hidden Valley Campground. File:Car, Renault Trafic I Jalopy, Front view.jpg, An old
Renault Trafic The Renault Trafic (pronounced as "traffic") is a light commercial van produced by the French automaker Renault since 1980. It is also marketed as the Fiat Talento, the Nissan NV300, the Nissan Primastar, the Mitsubishi Express and, until the ...
van with various makeshift repairs.


Terminology

Numerous
slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and usage (language), linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of p ...
terms are used to describe such cars, which vary by country and region, including ''hooptie'', ''jalopy'', ''shed'', ''clunker'', ''lemon'', ''banger'', ''bomb'', ''beater'', ''bunky'', ''old bomb'', ''rust bucket'', ''voodoo'', ''wreck'', ''heap'', ''bucket'', ''paddock basher'', ''paddock bomb'', ''death trap'', ''disaster on wheels'', ''rattletrap'', or ''shitbox''.


Australian English

In
Australian slang Australian English is a major variety of the English language spoken throughout Australia. Most of the vocabulary of Australian English is shared with British English, though there are notable differences. The vocabulary of Australia is drawn ...
the terms ''rust bucket'', ''bunky'', ''old bomb'', ''paddock basher'' or ''
bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...
'' are used to refer to old,
rusty Rusty may refer to something covered with rust or with a rust (color). Rusty is also a nickname for people who have red hair, have a rust-hued skin tone, or have the given name Russell. Rusty may also refer to: People * Rusty Anderson (born 19 ...
and/or rundown cars. The term 'paddock bomb' or 'paddock basher' often refers specifically to a car no longer fit to drive on
public roads A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...
, but driven in a local
paddock A paddock is a small enclosure for horses. In the United Kingdom, this term also applies to a field for a general automobile racing competition, particularly Formula 1. Description In Canada and the United States of America, a paddock is a smal ...
for recreation or sport. Many rural children learn to drive in an unregulated way in a paddock bomb. The term ''shitbox'' may refer to an unprepossessing but probably roadworthy vehicle, celebrated in the biannual (autumn and spring) Shitbox Rally, an Australian
fundraiser Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...
for cancer charities.


British English

In
British slang British slang is English-language slang originating from and used in the United Kingdom and also used to a limited extent in Anglophone countries such as Ireland, South Africa, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, especially by British expatriates ...
the terms ''old rust bucket'' or simply ''
bucket A bucket is typically a watertight, vertical cylinder or truncated cone or square, with an open top and a flat bottom, attached to a semicircular carrying handle called the ''bail''. A bucket is usually an open-top container. In contrast, a p ...
'' are used to refer to decrepit cars but the favoured term is ''old banger'', often shortened to '' banger''. The origin of the word is unknown, but could refer to the older poorly maintained vehicles' tendency to
back-fire A backfire or afterburn is combustion or an explosion produced by a running internal combustion engine that occurs in the exhaust system, rather than inside the combustion chamber. It is also sometimes referred to as an afterfire, especially i ...
. The term ''shed'' is also used.


North American English

In North American slang '' jalopy'', '' clunker'', ''heap'', ''rust bucket'' and ''bucket'' are also used. So too are '' beater''—a term especially favored in Canada—and the American urban '' hooptie'', which gained some popularity from the humorous song "My Hooptie" by
Sir Mix-a-Lot Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1992 hit song " Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' ...
. The word ''jalopy'' was once common but is now somewhat archaic. ''Jalopy'' seems to have replaced '' flivver'', which in the early decades of the 20th century also simply meant "a failure". Other early terms for a wreck of a car included ''heap'', ''tin lizzy'' (1915) and ''crate'' (1927), which probably derived from the WWI
pilots An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they ar ...
' slang for an old, slow and unreliable
aeroplane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spec ...
. In the latter half of the 20th century more coarse terms became popular, such as "shitbox". The origin of ''jalopy'' is unknown, but the earliest written use that has been found was in 1924. It is possible that the
longshoremen A stevedore (), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes. After the shipping container revolution of the 1960s, the number ...
in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Jalapa Xalapa or Jalapa (, ), officially Xalapa-Enríquez (), is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which ...
, Mexico, according to this destination, in which they pronounced the letter J as in English. Another possible origin is the French "chaloupe,"
motorboat A motorboat, speedboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard motor, inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion ...
, perhaps imitating the sound an old car would make. A 1929 definition of ''jalopy'' reads as follows: "a cheap make of automobile; an automobile fit only for junking". The definition has stayed the same, but it took a while for the spelling to standardize. Among the variants have been ''jallopy'', ''jaloppy'', ''jollopy'', ''jaloopy'', ''jalupie'', ''julappi'', ''jalapa'' and ''jaloppie''. John Steinbeck spelled it ''gillopy'' in ''In Dubious Battle'' (1936). The term was used extensively in the book '' On the Road'' by
Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian anc ...
, first published in 1957, although written from 1947. The
Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
, an engineering school in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
, takes pride in the practice of engineering students maintaining antique cars, and the school maintains the
Ramblin' Wreck The Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech is the 1930 Ford Model A Sport coupe that serves as the official mascot of the student body at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The Wreck is present at all major sporting events and student body func ...
, a popular mascot of the school. Their
college radio Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced ...
station, WREK, is also named after the iconic car. The term was also used throughout the history of
Archie Comics Archie Comic Publications, Inc., is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York.Archie Andrews Archibald "Archie" Andrews, created in 1941 by publisher John L. Goldwater and artist Bob Montana in collaboration with writer Vic Bloom,
' red, open-top antique car. In 2009 the term "clunker" was heavily used in reference to the
Car Allowance Rebate System The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), colloquially known as "cash for clunkers", was a $3 billion U.S. federal scrappage program intended to provide economic incentives to U.S. residents to purchase a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle whe ...
in the United States, which was also known as the "Cash for Clunkers Program". Decrepit cars used on Indian reservations in the United States and
Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the ''Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Indi ...
s in Canada are often referred to by their owners as ''reservation cars'' or ''rez runners'' for short. The culture of the rez car was explored in the documentary film ''
Reel Injun ''Reel Injun'' is a 2009 Canadian documentary film directed by Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond (filmmaker), Neil Diamond, Catherine Bainbridge, and Jeremiah Hayes (filmmaker), Jeremiah Hayes that explores the portrayal of Native Americans in film. ''R ...
'', and also figured briefly in the feature film '' Smoke Signals''. Keith Secola (Ojibwa) recorded the song "NDN KARS" describing such a vehicle in 1987. Originally appearing as a cassette release, it was used in the Native critically acclaimed film ''
Dance Me Outside ''Dance Me Outside'' is a 1994 Canadian drama film, directed by Bruce McDonald. It was based on a book by W.P. Kinsella.Rob Salem, "Dance Me Outside struts a lively two-step". ''Toronto Star'', March 10, 1995. The film premiered at the 1994 Tor ...
''. It is on his album ''Circle'' (AKINA Records, 1992). Activist
Russell Means Russell Charles Means (November 10, 1939 – October 22, 2012) was an Oglala Lakota activist for the rights of Native Americans, libertarian political activist, actor, musician, and writer. He became a prominent member of the American India ...
's humorous poem "Indian Cars Go Far" (1993) also describes the "Indian car" as a decrepit vehicle.


See also

* 24 Hours of LeMons *
Art car An art car is a vehicle that has had its appearance modified as an act of personal artistic expression. Art cars are often driven and owned by their creators, who are sometimes referred to as "Cartists". Most car artists are ordinary people with ...
* Banger racing * Barn find * '' Bush Mechanics'' *
Cash for Clunkers The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), colloquially known as "cash for clunkers", was a $3 billion U.S. federal scrappage program intended to provide economic incentives to U.S. residents to purchase a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle whe ...
*
Demolition derby Demolition derby is a non-racing motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their veh ...
*
Depreciation In accountancy, depreciation is a term that refers to two aspects of the same concept: first, the actual decrease of fair value of an asset, such as the decrease in value of factory equipment each year as it is used and wear, and second, the a ...
*
Lemon (automobile) In American English, a lemon is a vehicle that turns out to have several manufacturing issues affecting its safety, value or utility. Any vehicle with such severe issues may be termed a lemon, and by extension, so may any product with flaws too g ...
* Milo tin, a Malaysian pejorative term referring to poorly-repaired cars or those of shoddy workmanship. * ''
Pimp My Ride ''Pimp My Ride'' is an American television series produced by MTV and hosted by rapper Xzibit, which ran for six seasons on MTV from 2004 to 2007. In each episode, a car in poor condition is both restored and customized. The work on the show ...
'' * Vehicle scrappage scheme (United Kingdom) *
Wrecking yard A wrecking yard ( Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian English), scrapyard ( Irish, British and New Zealand English) or junkyard (American English) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are b ...


References


External links

* How to Get Rid of an Old Car - WikiHow article on getting rid of a decrepit car {{Private transport Car ownership Slang Automotive terminology Product expiration Waste minimisation Conservation and restoration of vehicles