This paper presents control strategies for finite-time stabilization of a class of nonholonomic dynamic systems with unknown virtual control coefficients and system parameters. The minimal dilation degree technique and the terminal sliding mode control scheme with finite-time convergence are used to design the controllers. The systematic control strategy development involves the introduction of state transformations and the application of recursive terminal sliding mode structure. Depending on whether the system in question can be converted into a time-invariant linear system or not, two control schemes are proposed respectively guaranteeing that system states converge to zero in finite time. The effectiveness and the robust feature of the developed control approaches are testified by two practical examples: the simplified underactuated hovercraft system and the parking problem for a mobile robot of the unicycle type. This paper presents control strategies for finite-time stabilization of a class of nonholonomic dynamic systems with unknown virtual control coefficients and system parameters. The minimal dilation degree technique and the terminal sliding mode control scheme with finite-time convergence are used to design the controllers. The systematic control strategy development involves the introduction of state transformations and the application of recursive terminal sliding mode structure. Of the application of recursive terminal sliding mode structure. states converge to zero in finite time. The effectiveness and the robust feature of the developed control approaches are testified by two practical examples: the simplified underactuated hovercraft system and the parking problem for a mobile robot of the unicycle type.