Chelsea tractor

English

Etymology

From Chelsea, a wealthy area of London in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea in which this type of vehicle is popular, and tractor, in reference to the size and bulkiness of the vehicle.

Noun

Chelsea tractor (plural Chelsea tractors)

1. (UK, colloquial) An SUV or 4x4 vehicle. [from 20th c.]
   • 2011, Ben Aaronovitch, Rivers of London, Gollancz, published 2011, page 45:

     This far up the hill was a maze of narrow streets choked with BMWs and Chelsea Tractors.

   • 2023 November 5, Andrew Anthony, “Monsters of the road: what should the UK do about SUVs?”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     As Simms and Murray note: “The part of the UK where the largest and most powerful 4x4s – so-called Chelsea tractors – are most popular is indeed the inner London borough of Kensington and Chelsea.”