TIL the word "jalopy" most likely comes from a mispronunciation of the Mexican city Xalapa, where old American cars were imported into Mexico - eviltoast
And Why Do We Call Them That?
www.americanheritage.com
Every American knows that the word jalopy means an elderly, decrepit automobile. Though the word undoubtedly originated in the United States, it is now (Issue: April/May 1986)..