Decrepit car

During the 1930s, the Great Depression left many Americans struggling financially, making new vehicles unattainable for most.

In response, the market for used cars grew rapidly, with decrepit vehicles becoming a popular choice for those on a budget.

Cheap dealers would often acquire these cars for very little money, make cosmetic adjustments, and sell them for a higher price, profiting from the demand for affordable transportation.

The popularity of these cars extended beyond simple transportation, with early hot rodders using them as a base for building racers.

[4] In the 1960s, the Ministry Of Transport Test (MOT) was introduced, in an effort to increase road safety.

[5] The term 'paddock bomb' or 'paddock basher' often refers specifically to a car no longer fit to drive on public roads, but driven on private property for recreation or sport.

Jalopy seems to have replaced flivver, which in the early decades of the 20th century also simply meant "a failure".

[7] Other early terms for a wreck of a car included heap, tin lizzy (1915) and crate (1927), which probably derived from the WWI pilots' slang for an old, slow and unreliable aeroplane.

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.