Fender skirts, known in Australia and the United Kingdom as spats or covers, are pieces of bodywork attached to or part of the fender that cover the upper portions of the wheels of a vehicle. They are usually used only on rear wheels, but some models have them on all wheels.
Fender skirts are used for aesthetic and aerodynamic reasons. Rather than the air entering and being trapped in the rear wheel well, it flows smoothly over the bodywork. Fender skirts are generally detachable to allow for tire changes and installation of snow chains.
Fender skirts are typically used on the rear wheels. However, automakers have incorporated integral fender skirts over the front wheel. Nash Motors used wind tunnels during World War II and incorporated aerodynamics' benefits into its 1949 through 1954 Nash "Airflyte" designs. [1] Their shape was the most streamlined form on the road, and the enclosed fenders on all corners eased a path for the air, contributing to the cars' low drag at highway speeds. [1] The compact-sized Nash Rambler from 1950 until 1954 also featured aerodynamic enclosed fenders that blended the sides of the body. [2] However, the front wheels must pivot for steering and extending out from the sides of the vehicle when turning if the front and rear track is equal. Nash claimed that the stability was not affected by the front wheels having a narrower 54.7 in (1,389 mm) track for the front wheels while the rear track was 59.7 in (1,516 mm). [3]
The 1955 Ford Thunderbird introduced rear "fender shields" as a type of fender skirt with an edge molding and a gravel shield. [4] In General Motors parts accessories books, fender skirts are known as fender shields.
First described as "pants", they were used for the streamlining effect by Frank Lockhart on a 1928 Stutz land speed record attempt car. [5] Factory production of fender skirts began with the 1932 Graham-Paige. [6] Aesthetically streamlined designs were copied to mass-produced models. [7] The innovations introduced by Amos Northup, such as the V'd radiators, fender skirts, and sloping beaver-tails, became common after 1933. [7] The fender skirt became a unique styling feature for cars of the past, "making them look like glorious floating boats, classy and elegant". [8] Fender skirts remained a feature for some time longer on a few cars, particularly full-size American luxury cars. By the 1970s, fender skirts began to disappear from mass-market automobiles.
Fender skirts were often paired with whitewall tires. The extent of the skirt also varied; before the 1950s, it was common for all but the very bottom of the rear tire to be covered, while by the 1960s, fender skirts only covered some of the top of the tire and were largely absent on cars other than top-line models. From the mid-1960s until 1976, the Chevrolet Caprice, Oldsmobile 98, Buick Electra, Pontiac Bonneville, and the Cadillac Fleetwood, DeVille, and Calais models used fender skirts. The Cadillac Eldorado models featured fender skirts from 1971 through 1974. Starting in 1977, only the Pontiac Bonneville retained the use of fender skirts on General Motors' downsized cars. In 1980, the Oldsmobile returned the fender skirts to its 98 model. By 1985, fender skirts disappeared from all standard General Motors cars. In 1989, fender skirts were used again on the Cadillac front-wheel drive Fleetwood models until 1993. For the 1991–1996 model years, General Motors generally incorporated fender skirts into the design of their full-size sedans for the Chevrolet Caprice, Buick Roadmaster, and Cadillac Fleetwood. The General Motors EV1 also had fender skirts.
When making Kustoms, fender skirts are an accessory to close the rear fenders and add a special kind of sleekness. [9] In European automobile design, Citroën notably used fender skirts on nearly all models produced between 1950 and 1990, most prominently in the DS, 2CV, Ami, GS, SM, BX, and CX. To enhance fuel economy, the General Motors EV1 electric car included fender skirts. [10] Mass production models with fender skirts included the first-generation Honda Insight and the Clarity in 2016. In 2013, the limited-production Volkswagen XL1 also used fender skirts.
Fender skirts are available for some new cars such as aftermarket accessories (the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Volkswagen Beetle, for example). The fender skirt accessory may arguably not contribute to the aesthetics of modern cars, but look "either tacky, strange, outlandish, or just plain ugly." [8]
Analysis by General Motors indicated three problems with using fender skirts to reduce aerodynamic drag. [11] The problem between the fit of the tires and the body is that either the track has to be narrower or the body pulled out. [11] The removable skirts are more expensive with attachment problems. [11] The reduction of airflow causes higher tire pressures. [11]
Some cities, such as Los Angeles, have fender skirts on municipal buses for safety purposes, as they can prevent items on the road from slipping under the tires.
Nash Motors Company was an American automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin from 1916 until 1937. From 1937 through 1954, Nash Motors was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation. As sales of smaller firms declined after 1950 in the wake of the domestic Big Three automakers’ advantages in production, distribution, and revenue, Nash merged with Hudson Motors to form American Motors Corporation (AMC). Nash automobile production continued from 1954 through 1957 under AMC.
The Cadillac Eldorado is a luxury car manufactured and marketed by Cadillac from 1952 until 2002 over twelve generations.
LaSalle was an American brand of luxury automobiles manufactured and marketed, as a separate brand, by General Motors' Cadillac division from 1927 through 1940. Alfred P. Sloan, GM's Chairman of the Board, developed the concept for four new GM marques - LaSalle, Marquette, Viking and Pontiac - paired with already established brands to fill price gaps he perceived in the General Motors product portfolio. Sloan created LaSalle as a companion marque for Cadillac. LaSalle automobiles were manufactured by Cadillac, but were priced lower than Cadillac-branded automobiles, were shorter, and were marketed as the second-most prestigious marque in the General Motors portfolio. LaSalles were titled as LaSalles, and not as Cadillacs. Like Cadillac — named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac — the LaSalle brand name was based on that of another French explorer, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.
The Buick Electra is a full-size luxury car manufactured and marketed by Buick from 1959 to 1990, over six generations. Introduced as the replacement for the Roadmaster lines, the Electra served as the flagship Buick sedan line through its entire production and was offered as a two-door sedan, two-door convertible, four-door sedan, and five-door station wagon.
The Pontiac Catalina is a full-size automobile produced by Pontiac from 1950 to 1981. Initially, the name was a trim line on hardtop body styles, first appearing in the 1950 Chieftain Eight and DeLuxe Eight lines. In 1959, it became a separate model as the "entry-level" full-size Pontiac.
The Pontiac Bonneville is a model line of full-size or mid-size front-engine rear drive cars manufactured and marketed by Pontiac from 1957 until 2005, with a hiatus for model years 1982-1986.
The H platform, or H-body, refers to two different automobile platforms produced by General Motors.
The B platform is a full-size, rear-wheel drive, body-on-frame car platform, that was produced by General Motors (GM) from 1926 to 1996. Originally made for Oldsmobile and Buick, all of General Motors's five main passenger car makes would use it at some point. It was closely related to the original rear-wheel drive C and D platforms, and was used for convertibles, hardtops, coupes, sedans, and station wagons. With approximately 12,960,000 units built, divided across four marques, the 1965–1970 B platform is the fourth best selling automobile platform in history after the Volkswagen Beetle, Ford Model T, and the Fiat 124.
The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser is an automobile that was manufactured and marketed by Oldsmobile from 1971 until 1992. Marking the return of Oldsmobile to the full-size station wagon segment, the Custom Cruiser was initially slotted above the intermediate Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, ultimately above the later mid-size Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser.
The Buick Roadmaster is an automobile built by Buick from 1936 until 1942, from 1946 until 1958, and then again from 1991 until 1996. Roadmasters produced between 1936 and 1958 were built on Buick's longest non-limousine wheelbase and shared their basic structure with the entry-level Cadillac Series 65, the Buick Limited, and after 1940, the Oldsmobile 98. Between 1946 and 1957, the Roadmaster served as Buick's flagship.
Power windows or electric windows are automobile windows which can be raised and lowered by pressing a button or switch, as opposed to using a crank handle.
The Cadillac Series 61 was Cadillac's mainstream product model range. It was priced and equipped more modestly below the limousine, GM D platform Cadillac Series 85, Cadillac Series 90, Cadillac Series 72, Cadillac Series 67, and Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75. It was upgraded to the Series 62 in 1940 only to return to production in model year 1941, replacing the cancelled LaSalle Series 50. While production was suspended from model years 1943–1945 due to World War II, it remained as the junior level product line until 1951. The size, equipment list and quality level were the most popular with buyers who wanted a prestigious luxury car that was usually driven by the owner, while the longer cars were chauffeur driven. It combined the most popular features of the previous Series 60 and Series 65 and was priced at the same level as Buick products of the time.
The Nash Ambassador is a luxury automobile produced by Nash Motors from 1927 until 1957. It was a top trim level for the first five years, then from 1932 on a standalone model. Ambassadors were lavishly equipped and beautifully constructed, earning them the nickname "the Kenosha Duesenberg".
Fender is the American English term for the part of an automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle body that frames a wheel well. Its primary purpose is to prevent sand, mud, rocks, liquids, and other road spray from being thrown into the air by the rotating tire. Fenders are typically rigid and can be damaged by contact with the road surface.
A scraper is an informal term to describe a modified American-made luxury/family car, usually a General Motors model from the 1980s to current vehicles, typically enhanced with after-market rims. Scrapers are popular in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California, usually associated with the hyphy music and lifestyle movement. An example of hyphy is shown in the E-40 lyrics "sittin' in my scraper watching Oakland gone wild". A scraper is a general description and can refer to a number of different model cars. Popular models include the Buick Regal and LeSabre, Pontiac Bonneville, Buick Century, Oldsmobile Delta 88, Buick Riviera, Buick Reatta, Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, Pontiac Grand Prix, Lexus SC, Chevrolet Caprice Classic, and Chevrolet Impalas, as well as full size conversion vans such as the GMC Vandura. Supercharged automobiles are particularly sought after due to their high performance.
The Nash Statesman is a full-sized automobile that was built by Nash Motors for the 1950 through 1956 model years in two generations. The Statesman series was positioned between the top-line Nash Ambassador and above the Nash Rambler.
A continental tire or a continental kit is used in the United States for an upright externally-mounted spare tire behind an automobile's trunk.
Hi-risers are a type of heavily-customized automobile, typically a full-size, body-on-frame, rear-wheel drive American sedan modified by significantly increasing the vehicle's ground clearance and adding large-diameter wheels with low-profile tires. Depending on the model, year and bodystyle, cars customized in this style can be labeled "donk", "box" or "bubble". Many within the community refer to this style of car as simply a "big rim" or "big wheel" car.
A brougham was originally a car body style where the driver sat outside and passengers seated within an enclosed cabin, — deriving the configuration from the earlier brougham horse-drawn carriage. Similar in style to the later town car, the brougham style was used on chauffeur-driven petrol and electric cars.
GM C platform, also known as the C-Body, was a front wheel drive (FWD) automobile platform used by General Motors' Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobile divisions for their full-sized automobiles from 1985 through 1996, sharing unibody construction, transverse engine configuration, rack and pinion steering and four-wheel independent suspension.
