Can someone explain to me exactly what a “ceramic coating” is? Because the engineer in me can’t get the classic definition out of my head and figure out how it applies to a car finish.

Ceramics are generally made by taking mixtures of clay, earthen elements, powders, and water and shaping them into desired forms. Once the ceramic has been shaped, it is fired in a high temperature oven known as a kiln.
I’m guessing there’s no dirt in these car finishes, and it’s certainly not fired in a kiln. So what makes it “ceramic”?