An SUV with four pillars

A "pillarless" hardtop vehicle, considered to have two total pillars

A stretch limo with five pillars

An A pillar is a name applied by car stylists and enthusiasts to the shaft of material that supports the windshield (windscreen) on either of the windshield frame sides. By denoting this structural member as the "A" pillar, and each successive vertical support after a successive letter in the alphabet (B-pillar, C-pillar etc.), this naming scheme allows those interested in car design to have points of reference when discussing design elements. Hardtop roof style, showing simulated-convertible features. ... Hardtop roof style, showing simulated-convertible features. ... A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. ... White limousine seen in London, England. ... White limousine seen in London, England. ... 2006 Cadillac DTS Presidential Limousine A limousine (or limo) is a long luxury car, traditionally black in color. ...

In the most usual configuration, the C-pillar supports the rear window, however, depending on configuration, the final pillar can be B, D, or even higher in more extreme examples.

Occasionally cars have a break between windows or doors, but have no supporting material in the space. These non-supporting breaks are not considered to be pillars, and are skipped for purposes of the alphabetical naming scheme. With the introduction of monocoque design in automobiles, supporting pillars have become increasingly important, and nearly every visual break in a modern vehicle contains a supporting pillar.The English version of b/c post is the centre post/pillar and post and pillars are the same wording. Monocoque (French for single shell) or unibody is a construction technique that uses the external skin of an object to support some or most of the load on the structure. ...