Fastback

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GAZ-M-20 in Warszawa (ruckansicht).jpg
1967 AMC Marlin white with red interior 04 cropped.jpg
1967 AMC Marlin, a full-size 2-door fastback [1]
1968 Ford Mustang GT fastback (7708126054).jpg
1968 Ford Mustang, a pony car fastback [2]
Citroen CX 2500 Diesel (6063019981).jpg
1978 Citroën CX 4-door fastback sedan
Tesla Model 3 Heckansicht.jpg
Unlike the Tesla Model S 5-door liftback, the Tesla Model 3 seen here is a 4-door fastback sedan (i.e. with a separate trunk)

A fastback is an automotive styling feature, defined by the rear of the car having a single slope from the roof to the tail. [3] [4]

Contents

The kammback is not a fastback design with a roofline that tapers downward toward the car's rear before being cut off abruptly. [5]

Some models, such as the Ford Mustang, have been marketed explicitly as fastbacks, often to differentiate them from other body styles (e.g. coupé models) in the same model range.

Definition

A fastback is often defined as having a single slope from the roof to the rear of the vehicle. [6]

1974 Leyland Force 7V Coupe (48296806101).jpg
The 1974 Leyland P76 can be considered both a fastback (with a single uninterrupted slope from the roofline to the rear) and a liftback that is hinged at the roof
1965 Rambler Marlin fastback 2015-AMO meet in red and black 3of6.jpg
1965 Rambler Marlin fastback with trunk lid and a fixed rear window [7]

Traditionally a fastback will have a trunk opening that is separate from the rear window which remains in a fixed position. [8] The term "fastback" is not interchangeable with "liftback"; the former describes the car's shape, and the latter refers to a roof-hinged tailgate that lifts upwards for storage area access.

More specifically, the Road & Track Illustrated Automotive Dictionary defines the fastback as

A closed body style, usually a coupe but sometimes a sedan, with a roof sloped gradually in an unbroken line from the windshield to the rear edge of the car. A fastback naturally lends itself to a hatchback configuration and many have it, but not all hatchbacks are fastbacks and vice versa. [9]

In the case of the Ford Mustang, the term "fastback" is used to differentiate against the coupé notchback body style, [10] [11] which has a steeper rear window followed by a horizontal trunk lid.

History

Automobile designers in the 1930s began using elements of aircraft aerodynamics to streamline the boxy-looking vehicles of their day. [12] Such designs, which were ahead of their time when exhibited during the early 1930s, included a droplet-like streamlining of the car's rear, a configuration similar to what would become known as the "fastback" 25 years later. [13] Merriam-Webster first recognized the term "fastback" in 1954, [4] many years before the popularization of the term "hatchback", which entered the dictionary in 1970. [14] Opinions vary as to whether the terms are mutually exclusive.

Early examples of fastback cars include the 1929 Auburn Cabin Speedster, 1933 Cadillac V-16 Aerodynamic Coupe, 1935 Stout Scarab, [15] 1933 Packard 1106 Twelve Aero Sport Coupe, [16] Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic, Tatra 87, Porsche 356, Saab 92/96, Standard Vanguard, GAZ-M20 Pobeda, and Bentley Continental R-Type.

Fastbacks produce less turbulence (hence less drag) than conventional three-box (Tre volumi) designs Fatback IT.svg
Fastbacks produce less turbulence (hence less drag) than conventional three-box (Tre volumi) designs

Aerodynamic advantages

Fastbacks provide an advantage in developing aerodynamic vehicles with a low drag coefficient. [17] For example, although lacking a wind tunnel, Hudson designed its post-World War II cars to look aerodynamic, and "tests conducted by Nash later found that the Hudson had almost 20% less drag than contemporary notchback sedans". [18] However, the aerodynamic teardrop shape meant lower headroom for rear seat passengers, limited visibility to the rear for the driver, and also meant a less practical, elongated rear end design. [19]

Australia

In Australia, fastbacks (known as "slopers") were introduced in 1935, first designed by General Motors' Holden as one of the available bodies on Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, and Pontiac chassis. The sloper design was added by Richards Body Builders in Australia to Dodge and Plymouth models in 1937; it was subsequently adopted by Ford Australia in 1939 and 1940, as well as a sloper style made on Nash chassis. [20] According to automotive historian G.N. Georgano, "the Slopers were advanced cars for their day". [21]

Europe

In Europe, there was a sloping rear on streamlined cars as early as 1945, from which the shapes of the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 356 are derived.

Japan

In Japan, the Toyota AA first adopted the fastback style in 1936. It was strongly influenced by the 1933 DeSoto Airflow. The 1965 Mitsubishi Colt 800 was the first post-war Japanese fastback, [22] and the 1958 Subaru 360 was the first kei fastback. The Prince Skyline 1900 Sprint was developed by Prince Motor Company in 1963, but was never marketed. [23]

Afterwards, all Japanese automakers adopted the fastback style, with the 1967 Honda N360, 1968 Nissan Sunny Coupe, [24] 1968 Mazda Familia Rotary Coupe, [25] 1970 Suzuki Fronte "Sting Ray Look", and 1971 Daihatsu Fellow Max. [26] From the late 1960s to the 1970s, American coke bottle styling became popular in Japan, as seen on Toyota's 1973 Celica "Liftback". [27] [28] [29]

North America

In North America, the numerous marketing terms for the fastback body style included "aerosedan", "club coupe", "sedanette" and "torpedo back". [30] Cars included Cadillac's Series 61 and 62 Club Coupes, as well as various other models from General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler.

From the early 1940s until 1950, nearly every domestic manufacturer offered at least one fastback body style within their model lineups. Although the styling was good, the cars had less trunk capacity compared to the notchback designs. [31] In the mid-1960s, the style was revived on many GM and Ford products until the mid-1970s.

"4-door coupe"

Marketing terminology changed in 2004, with the launch of the first generation Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. It was described as a 4-door coupé, a purely marketing term describing its fastback sedan arrangement, with fastback coupé-profiled bodywork and two doors on each side. The design reinterpreted the concept used in the 1992-1997 Infiniti J30/Nissan Leopard J Férié, which is not a true fastback.

This marketing term was followed by other competing models, such as the Audi A7 and the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé, Audi A5 Sportback, BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé, Volkswagen CC, Volkswagen Arteon, Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, Aston Martin Rapide, and Porsche Panamera.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyota Celica</span> Automobile

The Toyota Celica is an automobile produced by Toyota from 1970 until 2006. The Celica name derives from the Latin word coelica meaning heavenly or celestial. In Japan, the Celica was exclusive to the Toyota Corolla Store dealer chain. Produced across seven generations, the Celica was powered by various four-cylinder engines, and bodystyles included convertibles, liftbacks, coupés and notchback coupés.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hatchback</span> Car body configuration with a rear door

A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to the main interior of the car as a cargo area rather than just to a separated trunk. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second-row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coupe</span> Car body style

A coupe or coupé is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sedan (automobile)</span> Passenger car in a three-box configuration

A sedan or saloon is a passenger car in a three-box configuration with separate compartments for an engine, passengers, and cargo. The first recorded use of sedan in reference to an automobile body occurred in 1912. The name derives from the 17th-century litter known as a sedan chair, a one-person enclosed box with windows and carried by porters. Variations of the sedan style include the close-coupled sedan, club sedan, convertible sedan, fastback sedan, hardtop sedan, notchback sedan, and sedanet/sedanette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pony car</span> American car classification

Pony car is an American car classification for affordable, compact, highly styled coupés or convertibles with a "sporty" or performance-oriented image. Common characteristics include rear-wheel drive, a long hood, a short decklid, a wide range of options to individualize each car and use of mass-produced parts shared with other models. The popularity of pony cars is largely due to the launch of the Ford Mustang in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyota Camry</span> Japanese mid-size car

The Toyota Camry is an automobile sold internationally by the Japanese auto manufacturer Toyota since 1982, spanning multiple generations. Originally compact in size (narrow-body), the Camry has grown since the 1990s to fit the mid-size classification (wide-body)—although the two widths co-existed in that decade. Since the release of the wide-bodied versions, Camry has been extolled by Toyota as the firm's second "world car" after the Corolla. As of 2022, the Camry is positioned above the Corolla and below the Avalon or Crown in several markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kammback</span> Automotive styling feature

A Kammback—also known as a Kamm tail or K-tail—is an automotive styling feature wherein the rear of the car slopes downwards before being abruptly cut off with a vertical or near-vertical surface. A Kammback reduces aerodynamic drag, thus improving efficiency and reducing fuel consumption, while maintaining a practical shape for a vehicle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyota Corona</span> Series of automobiles manufactured by Toyota

The Toyota Corona is an automobile manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota across eleven generations between 1957 and 2001. On launch, the Corona was Toyota's second-highest product in their range, just below the Crown. The Corona was marketed in the JDM at Toyota's Toyopet Store dealership channels, and the Corona was one of Toyota's first models exported to other global markets, followed by the smaller Toyota Corolla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notchback</span> Type of car design

A notchback is a car design with the rear section distinct from the passenger compartment and where the back of the passenger compartment is at an angle to the top of what is typically the rear baggage compartment. Notchback cars have "a trunk whose lid forms a distinct deck." In profile view, the body has a step down from the roof with a downward inclined passenger compartment's rear window to meet an almost horizontal trunk lid extending to the rear of the car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liftback</span> Variation of hatchback with a sloping roofline between 45 and 5 degrees

A liftback is a variation of a hatchback car body style, with a more gently sloping roofline, roughly between 45 and 10 degrees, whereas traditional or archetypal hatchback designs tend to use a 45 degree to near vertical slope on the top-hinged tailgate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyota Sprinter</span> Motor vehicle

The Toyota Sprinter is a compact car manufactured by Toyota as a variant of the Toyota Corolla. Exclusively sold in the Japanese domestic market, the Sprinter was aimed to be sportier than its Corolla sibling and also using different sheet metal mostly on the C-pillar. The Sprinter was sold exclusively at the Toyota Auto Store while the Corolla was sold at the eponymous Toyota Corolla Store, which focused on economical cars compared to the more upmarket Vista store.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyota Carina</span> Motor vehicle

The Toyota Carina is an automobile which was manufactured by Toyota from December 1970 to December 2001. It was introduced as a sedan counterpart of the Celica, with which it originally shared a platform. Later, it was realigned to the Corona platform, but retained its performance image, with distinctive bodywork and interior — aimed at the youth market and remaining exclusive to Japanese Toyota dealerships Toyota Store. It was replaced in Japan by the Toyota Allion in 2001 and succeeded in Europe by the Toyota Avensis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Car body configurations</span>

The configuration of a car body is typically determined by the layout of the engine, passenger and luggage compartments, which can be shared or separately articulated. A key design feature is the car's roof-supporting pillars, designated from front to rear of the car as A-pillar, B-pillar, C-pillar and D-pillar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AMC Rambler Tarpon</span> Concept car designed by American Motors Corporation

The Rambler Tarpon was a concept car, a compact-sized sporty youth-oriented 2+2 hardtop coupé developed in 1963 by American Motors Corporation (AMC). The bright red with black roof design study made its public debut at the 1964 Chicago Auto Show. The car served to foretell the fastback design elements of the larger Rambler Marlin that was introduced in 1965.

Wunibald Kamm was an automobile designer, engineer, and aerodynamicist. He is best known for his breakthrough in reducing car turbulence at high speeds; the style of car bodywork based on his research has come to be known as a Kammback or a Kamm-tail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyundai i30</span> Motor vehicle

The Hyundai i30 is a small family car manufactured by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company since 2006. The i30 shares its platform with the Kia Ceed, available as a three-door hatchback (2012–2017), five-door hatchback, five-door estate and five-door liftback (2017–present), with a choice of three petrol engines and two diesel engines, either with manual or automatic transmission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Mustang (second generation)</span> Motor vehicle

The second-generation Ford Mustang, marketed as the Ford Mustang II, is a two- or three-door, four-passenger, front-engine/rear-drive pony car manufactured and marketed by Ford from 1973 until 1978. Introduced in September 1973 for model year 1974, the Mustang II arrived roughly coincident with the oil embargo of 1973 and subsequent fuel shortages. Developed under Lee Iacocca, it was an "entirely new kind of pony car." Ford "decided to call it Mustang II, since it was a new type of pony car designed for an era of high gas prices and fuel shortages."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyota Corolla (E70)</span> Motor vehicle

The Corolla E70 was the fourth generation of cars sold by Toyota under the Corolla nameplate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coupe SUV</span> Style for motor vehicle

A coupe SUV is a type of sport utility vehicle with a sloping rear roofline similar to those of fastbacks or Kammbacks. The sloping roofline is adopted to offer a styling advantage compared to its standard SUV counterpart, which helps increase profit margins as manufacturers are able to raise the price by marketing it as a more premium model. Since all coupe SUVs ever produced are of the crossover variety, coupe SUVs may also be called "coupe crossovers" or "coupe crossover SUVs".

References

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