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Green’s Dictionary of Slang

chariot n.

1. an omnibus.

1843		Gloucs. Chron. 28 Oct. 4/2: In a chariot, cab or ’bus, the day is spent in straining to overtake complicated details of business.
1890		Sporting Times 8 Mar. 1/1: It is a very old-world notice, and relates in many cases to old-world vehicles, as, for instance, ‘Coach, sociable, Berlin, landau, chariot’.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks 20/1: Chariot, a subway car, tram or city bus.
1943		Yorks. Post 30 Apr. 2/4: Night Chariot. She rides in the night, softly, purposefully [...] a pugnacious electric trolley with plump tyres.

2. an automobile.

1905		Sporting Times 25 Feb. 4/1: Hundreds of death-chariots are imported into or manufactured in England every week, each one capable of ‘ucctin’ each other’s record for speed and reliability.
1912		Bulletin (Sydney) 19 Dec. 22/3: Dr. and Mrs. Wallace Weihen have been honeymooning in Tasmania, with the aid of a petrol chariot.
1914		Manchester Eve. News 30 May 4/2: A Fiery Chariot. A valuale motor-van was burnt to fragments.
1926		S. Young Encaustics 4: A son-chariot was the car you got for your son and heir.
1935		F. Nebel ‘Winter Kill’ in Goulart (1967) 103: He’s tight [...] He wants to drive that chariot of his and I won’t let him.
1940		R.L. Bellem ‘Death’s Passport’ in Goodstone Pulps (1970) 117/1: I jammed Vonnie into the tonneau of Dave’s official police chariot.
1958		C. Himes Real Cool Killers (1969) 50: He got a shine parlor, ain’t he? Shine parlors make good dough. Maybe he’s got a chariot too.
1961		B. Crump Hang On a Minute, Mate (1963) 18: The first chariot my mate claps his eye on is a taxi.
1979		‘Iceberg Slim’ Airtight Willie and Me 31: He just let his chariot drive itself.
1981		J. Ellroy Brown’s Requiem 14: I left him there, got into his chariot, and pulled out onto Mariposa.
2000		Guardian G2 31 Jan. 16: My chariot is a beautiful Mercedes Cabriolet.

In compounds

chariot-buzzer (n.) [buzzer n.¹ (1)]

a pickpocket who specializes in the passengers of an omnibus; thus chariot-buzzing.

1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 18: chariot-buzzing, picking pockets in an omnibus.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. [as cit. 1859].
1873		Sl. Dict.
1929		Advertiser (Adelaide) 4 Apr. 11/5: [from London Wkly Teleg.] To pick a pocket ina bus is described as ‘chariot buzzing’.