'autocar' originates from French, specifically the word 'autocar', formed from the combining form 'auto-' (from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self') + 'car' (from Old Northern French/Old French 'car'/'char', ultimately from Latin 'carrus' meaning 'wheeled vehicle').

'autocar' was coined in French in the late 19th century from 'auto-' + 'car' and was then borrowed into English as 'autocar'; the element 'car' itself came via Old French from Latin 'carrus' and related Gaulish roots referring to a wheeled vehicle.

Initially it referred to a self-propelled vehicle or coach (and was sometimes used for early automobiles); over time its use narrowed in British English to mean a motor coach or long-distance bus, while 'car'/'automobile' became the general terms for smaller passenger vehicles.