Auto Body Parts
The “body” of the car usually refers to the
exterior, visible parts of the car. These include hoods, bumpers, tops,
and more.
The earliest cars were all built on a frame. However,
to save weight and improve gas mileage, in the 1920s and 30s automakers
began to start eliminating the frame. These vehicles were mass produced
by the 1940s, and this “unit body” technique is now the
standard way to make cars.
The body of the car has always been crucial to the way
the car runs and, almost as importantly, for the way the car is seen
and perceived. Not only is it vital for providing safety and aerodynamics,
it is also the easiest way to noticeably personalize and stylize a car,
whether that be through a new paint job or bodywork repairs such as
panel beating or getting rid of rust. For this reason, working on the
auto body has long been an American hobby and pastime.