While Americans might be better at hot sauce and Brits excel in music, we can all agree that both nations have some pretty weird words for car things. Having come from Britain to America, I often find myself stuck between to two – regularly typing “aluminium” instead of “aluminum” or “tyre” instead of “tire.”
The differences between the two runs deeper, though, and there is a whole host of car terms over here that you’d be laughed out a mechanics shop if you used them in the U.S. To save you from such embarrassment, I’ve worked through some of the most important automotive phrases and translated them from American to English.
So if you’re planning a road trip to the UK anytime soon, sit back, relax and soak up some British automotive culture that you’ll need to know.