Crossword Genius

Vehicle with lad in bashed churchman (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cardinal

'churchman' is the definition.
(I know that cardinal is a type of bishop)

'vehicle with lad in bashed' is the wordplay.
'vehicle' becomes 'car' (car is a kind of vehicle).
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'bashed' is an anagram indicator.
'lad'+'in'='ladin'
'ladin' anagrammed gives 'dinal'.
'car'+'dinal'='CARDINAL'

(Other definitions for cardinal that I've seen before include "Scarlet; fundamental" , "Red American songbird" , "fundamental importance" , "High-ranking official of the Roman Catholic church" , "Prince of the RC church" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sun.
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