Automotive Culture Series: A Clear View on the Term "Anti-collision Beam"

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Frederick Richard Simms was also a legendary figure in the automotive world. 🌍 He had close ties with Daimler, Bosch, and was involved in everything from armored cars to founding auto clubs and the British International Motor Show. He even coined the terms “Petrol” and “Motorcar”! 🛠️

Although Simms Manufacturing began installing bumpers on their cars, the company ceased car production in 1907 due to poor sales. However, the commercial vehicle division later became part of British Leyland. 🇬🇧

While bumper pioneers stopped producing cars, the bumper itself—originally created for pedestrian protection—became an essential component as cars became more mainstream. 🚗 Throughout the 1910s, over half the cars in the United States came equipped with bumpers, though in France, considered the automotive capital at the time, bumpers were considered ugly and rarely adopted. 🇫🇷

So don’t assume this metal bar was born with the automobile. It remained optional for decades and its placement and design were up to each carmaker’s preference. 🤷♂️

The first international standard for bumpers came in February 1925, when automakers and bumper manufacturers at the Paris Auto Club agreed that bumpers should be installed 53 cm above the ground—roughly between the thigh and knee of an adult. By 1926, Buick began offering bumpers as standard on models like the Master Sport. 🔧

By 1928, bumper testing was done by ramming them into trees using trucks—brute force testing at its rawest. 🌲🚛

From the mid-1920s onward, more cars were equipped with bumpers. But a new problem emerged: bumpers were externally mounted and connected to the main frame. Engineers started making them bigger, stronger, and heavier—even strong enough to support headlights, radiators, or lift the whole vehicle. 🚙 This meant that the original purpose of protecting pedestrians was getting lost. Until 1958, bumpers were more about resisting vehicle damage, not about pedestrian safety. 🙅♂️

From 1905’s pedestrian-protecting bumpers to 1958, the story resembles today’s domestic obsession with “anti-collision beams.” We too walked a path of ignorance and confusion. 🌀

In 1934, the first front-wheel-drive car—Citroën Traction Avant 7CV—had a relatively small bumper. Fun fact: its horn was installed on the bumper! 📣

By 1940, the Cadillac Series 62 had massive, rigid bumpers—great for car protection, but a nightmare for pedestrians. 💥

The 1953 Mercury Monterey Coupe’s bumper had two distinct bulges—clearly inspired by a woman’s bra design. No joke. 👙

The turning point came in 1958 when 64 countries launched the Global Vehicle Regulation Coordination Forum. It introduced worldwide standards covering safety, emissions, fuel economy, and anti-theft. Among these was bumper design. 📜 Testing showed that while rigid bumpers helped the car, they seriously injured pedestrians and occupants. Automakers started to rethink materials and placement. 💡

From this emerged new rules: bumper height should be 445mm, and they must withstand 2.5–4 kph pedestrian collision tests. 🚸

In late 1967, the Pontiac GTO became the world’s first production car to use plastic bumpers—though they were optional. Still, it marked a revolution: plastic was lighter, cheaper, and easier to shape. 🔧

France followed suit in 1971 with the Renault 5, using fiberglass-reinforced polyester bumpers. Meanwhile, Germany was slow to adopt plastic; their first use was in the 1982 Mercedes W201. 🇩🇪

The U.S. passed its first mandatory bumper regulation in 1971: bumpers had to withstand 8 kph impacts without damaging vehicle function. 🚦 This forced many European cars to redesign their bumpers or exit the U.S. market—Citroën being one example. ❌

Europe revised its 1958 regulations in 1980 with Article 42: bumpers must be mounted at 445mm height and pass 2.5 kph and 4 kph impact tests. 📏

In 1985, Lamborghini’s Countach LP5000 S QV was released. The Euro version had sleek bumpers, but the U.S. version had bulky, protruding ones to meet regulations—a visual example of different standards. 🇺🇸🇪🇺

By the 1990s, carmakers realized that aerodynamics reduced fuel consumption. Especially Japanese brands began hiding bumpers beneath sculpted plastic claddings—what many Chinese still call “bumpers” today. 😅 In fact, these are air dams or spoilers (in German: Frontschürze, Heckschürze, Seitenschürze). Materials like polycarbonate and ABS plasticoffered flexibility, durability, and thermal resistance. 🧪

Since the early 1990s, hidden bumper structures have become the norm. Though the outer plastic cladding is still casually called a bumper, technically the real bumper is underneath—what many in China mistakenly call an “anti-collision beam.”

In Europe, crash tests such as Euro NCAP’s 40 kph frontal test evaluate how bumpers absorb and distribute energy to protect pedestrians. 🧍♂️💥

In 2009, the definition was split: “bumper” and “front protection system” are now separate in safety standards. 📘

The 1990 Toyota Camry V30 was among the first to adopt full-body plastic cladding, hiding the bumper inside. In contrast, many domestic models like the Jetta or Xiali still had exposed bumpers—no wonder people confused the parts. 🚘

The red part shown in the diagram is called Frontschürze in German, or air dam/spoiler in English. While casually referred to as bumpers, these are not the real bumpers—the actual ones are hidden beneath. 📌

The 2005 Citroën C6 was the first car in Europe to receive a full score for pedestrian protection under the new Euro NCAP bumper regulations. 🏆

To summarize the history and evolution of bumpers: most Chinese car buyers are used to seeing only the external plastic cladding, so mistakenly calling that the bumper is understandable. 🤷♀️ But inventing a new term like “anti-collision beam” and sensationalizing it across media is misleading, especially to those just beginning to learn about car culture. 🚫

Let’s respect automotive history, terminology, and progress. 🙌