noun
small car dealership; auto repair shop selling cars
Refers to a small, often independent business that sells and repairs cars, not a large franchise dealer.
駅前の車屋で中古車を買った。
I bought a used car at the car dealership in front of the station.
江戸時代には、車屋は重要な職人だった。
In the Edo period, wheelwrights were important craftsmen.
noun
rickshawman; rickshaw station
Historical term for a rickshaw puller or a rickshaw stand. Now obsolete except in historical contexts.
明治の写真には、車屋が客を待つ姿が写っている。
Photos from the Meiji era show rickshawmen waiting for customers.
Compound of 車 (kuruma, 'vehicle') and 屋 (ya, 'shop' or 'dealer'). The historical senses derive from the broader meaning of 車 as 'wheeled vehicle'.