C-pillar

The roof pillars of a car are lettered from front to back, and the C-pillar is the third pair — the supports that run from the body up to the roof behind the rear doors and rearmost side windows. On a typical saloon or hatchback it is the rearmost pillar, framing the back of the cabin and helping support the roof; on larger estates, SUVs and MPVs with an extra window, the rearmost support becomes a D-pillar and the C-pillar sits between. Structurally the C-pillars contribute to the body's rigidity and rollover strength and anchor the rear of the roof. They are also a major styling element — a thick, blacked-out or distinctively shaped C-pillar (such as a "floating roof" effect) often defines a car's rear profile — though a very thick C-pillar can hamper over-the-shoulder visibility.