Rear Bumper Cover

The front and the rear bumper made their debut within the first two decades after invention of the automobile. For the next fifty to sixty years, designers made changes and modifications to the bumper and never thought of adding another layer over the car's rear bumper. The 1970's heralded a change in the automobile industry as far as bumper designing and manufacturing was concerned. The regulations were amended and the speed limit was lowered from 5 miles per hour to 2.5 miles per hour. Another change was that car manufacturers were permitted to weaken the bumper as long as the vehicle remained free from damage from low speed impact. Earlier, the bumper too was required to be free of impact. From the 1970's onwards, it was sufficient if the vehicle remained free of damage even if the bumper was completely destroyed.

This encouraged owners and car manufacturers to come up with Rear bumper covers. The rear bumper cover revolution was made possible by the increased use of plastic in automobile manufacturing. Plastic can be manipulated in ways that is next to impossible as far as metal is concerned.

Earliest plastic was not suitable because it was too brittle and too soft to be used in cars and trucks. Urethane was hard and yet malleable. This meant that plastic could be molded into different shapes to be fitted over the rear bumper of the automobile. This led to a rise in popularity of front and rear bumpers covers. Today, it is next to impossible to find a car that does not have plastic covers on the bumper. So much so, the actual bumper has been reduced to a small, compact and strong metal strip with an oversized plastic cover on the same.

Till the 70's, chrome bumpers were the ultimate of car designing. Bumper covers have taken up the role of successors of chrome bumpers and are preferred by car and truck owners alike. Further, car makers also recognized that the cover, with industrial form fitted inside the same, could be used to protect the bumper from damage. That is the reason why you will find foam fitted between the cover and bumper in your vehicle. Even an aftermarket bumper does not come cheap. The Rear bumper is prone to damage because there is no guarantee that the driver behind your vehicle will be as skilled and qualified as you are. The 90's saw increasing use of carbon fiber in automobiles. This has affected the bumper cover market as well. Bumpers as well as covers are made of carbon fiber today.

The front bumper cover is important because the engine is normally fitted in the front. However, bumper cover for Rear of any car or truck becomes very important if the engine is placed in the Rear. It is best to opt for covers of equal strength as the Rear is susceptible to damage due to impact from an inexperienced driver. Get quality aftermarket bumper cover and other related parts online at Automotix.