Car Classification

Home , Car body style, Car classification, Notchback

Classification of Car by Body Style

Session Speaker Mr. Mithun S. K.

At the end of this session the delegate would have understood - How cars are classified on basis of body style - Development and history behind different body style

1. Basic Definitions 2. Different types of Car Body Style 3. Development and History Behind Different Body Style

1. In the history of the motor car there has been some specific the names used to describe various types of body styles, built by coach builders from different countries 2. The following terms relate to the vehicles produced during the period 1895 to 1915

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 5 Terms used to describe early vehicle body styles • Berlina - a typical luxury carriage for travelling, taking its name after Berlin. It has an enclosed construction with benches facing one another. In front of the body casing there is a raised driver's box • Cab - an enclosed two-seat carriage, that Berlina could have two or four wheels. It used to be a common carriage to be hired in cities • Cabriolet - an open two-seater designed to be pulled by a single horse. The two rear seats could be protected from rain by a folding roof. Cabriolet

Phaeton

• Phaeton - a light four-wheel carriage. The front bench, that is bigger and more comfortable. At the rear there was a bench for four.

• Landauer - a common version of a classical coach .It is characteristic for its two-part roofing folding forwards and backwards. If the front part is not made of cloth or leather, but with glass windows • Landaulet - a reduced Landauer, similarly to a Coupé being a two- seater version of a Berlina, a Landaulet is really a two-seater version of a Landauer.

Messerschmitt KR-200 (1955) • Micro cars are usually designed and produced for economic purposes when materials and heavy equipment are scarce or fuel is scarce and expensive. • Less than 3 meters in length and less than 85 cubic feet /2400 liters interior volume. • Earlier engine capacity were under 1.0 liter and seat only two passengers and many have only three wheels.

• Microcar designs boomed in post-World War II Europe, particularly in Germany. • Former military aircraft manufacturers such as Messerschmitt and Heinkel were prominent microcar makers. • Aircraft-style bubble canopies due to the aviation influence on F. M. R. Tg-500 (1959) design - Bubble cars.

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 10 Micro car • Aircraft designer Ernst Heinkel using aircraft principles and making it lighter yet faster with a smaller engine. • Unique way to get in and out off the car. • Very small cars have also been popular in Japan and US. • Keicars - differ from most of the European microcars in that they are typically designed and built as scaled- down versions of very traditional car configurations.

1956 Heinkel Kabine

1950 Reyonnah

1959 PTV

• It has a radical solution to the problem of parking. • PTV was the second-biggest-selling microcar in Spain.

• A small car with very small engines being treated as motorcycles for tax and insurance purposes. • No car drivers license was needed (Austria, Germany, Spain, Portugal). • Advantage in ease of parking . • Improves handling by reducing the angular inertia.

• The Smart (model Fortwo) launched in 1998 was a successful re-invention of the microcar

Smart (model Fortwo)

• The Corbin Sparrow, a single- seat electric microcar that can be licenced as a motorcycle. • The Global Electric Motorcars GEM, a 2- or 4-passenger "Golf Car" style vehicle. Corbin Sparrow • The REVA electric vehicle from India.

REVA

• An automobile design, consisting of a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by a tailgate. • Opening rear tail gate. • The interior design include fold- down rear seats, which can be used as a cargo area. Renault Clio • The rear seat can be folded partially (for instance 1/2, 1/3 or 2/3) or completely to expand the cargo space.

• High performance version of hatch back are knows as Hot hatchs • The rear seat in line with the D- Pillar and the short space behind the rear wheels.

Citroën Traction Avant Commerciale (1938)

• The Renault 4 (1961) was a popular hatchback layout in Europe. Its tailgate was a single door incorporating the window and hinged at the top with side windows between C & D-pillars over the load space and a steep angle from roof to rear bumper. • During its production run the R4 was called a small station wagon, even after the term hatchback appeared around 1970.

Renault 4

• Innocenti A40S Combinata (1962), had a single-unit tailgate, features the modern hatchback

Innocenti A40S Combinata (1962)

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 20 History of Hatchbacks • Hatchbacks were popular for smaller vehicles in the U.S. and Canada during the fuel crises of the 1970s • Styling of trunked cars more elegant and dignified than that of hatchbacks • The poor quality and basic nature of many hatchbacks also gave them a reputation for cheapness

AMC Gremlin Honda Civic - 1972

• The first all-Italian hatchback was the Fiat 127, which went into production during 1971. • The first German hatchback was the Volkswagen Passat (Dasher in North America) of 1973, followed by the more popular Volkswagen Golf (Rabbit in North America) in 1974 Volkswagen Golf

Lancia Delta Vauxhall Astra

Fiat Tipo

Volkswagen Golf

Fiat Bravo Ford Focus

Peugeot-206-sedan • Type of car design consists of engine compartment, passenger compartment and a separate boot • A sedan posses fixed roof with fixed B pillar which seats four or more • Most commonly it is a four-door; two-door models are rare

• Notchback sedan

Ford-4-door-verve-concept • A notchback sedan is a three-box sedan, where the passenger volume is very distinct from the trunk volume of the vehicle. • The roof is on one plane, generally parallel to the ground, the rear window (tail light) at a sharp angle to the roof, and the trunk lid is also parallel to the ground.

• Fastback sedan

Audi-roadjet-concept

• A fastback sedan is a two-box sedan, with continuous slope from the roof to the base of the decklid, but excludes the hatchback feature • Typically this design is chosen for its aerodynamic advantages. Automakers can no longer afford the penalty in fuel consumption produced by the traditional notchback three box form

• Two Door Sedan

• 1959 Rambler American

• The SAE defines such a vehicle as any two-door model with rear accommodation greater than or equal to 33 cubic feet (0.934 m³) in volume (includes legroom, shoulder room, and headroom)

• Liftbacks have either fastback- like rear ends, which are significantly sloped compared to more vertical hatchbacks, or are notchback-shaped • For better aerodynamics • Based on Kamm back design trend

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 30 Coupe • Coupe was an enclosed two-seater mainly used in towns and was driven by a coachman. • If the carriage had an emergency (tip-up) seat or a seat for a child, then it was a so- called three-quarter coupé • Coupés generally, but not necessarily, have two doors, although automobile makers have offered four-door coupés and three- and five-door hatchback coupés, as well. • The SAE distinguishes a coupé from a sedan (saloon) primarily by interior volume • SAE standard J1100 defines a coupé as a fixed-roof automobile with less than 33 ft2

of rear interior volume© M S Ramaiah. School of Advanced Studies 31 Two door Sedan and Coupe

• Two Door Sedan • Coupes

1940 Pontiac two-door sedan BMW-1-Series-Coupe

• Vehicles with a B-pillar • While hardtops (without the between the front and rear pillar, and often incorporating windows are generally called a sloping backlight) are called two-door sedans coupés

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 32 Coupe – As a Marketing Term • Due to it sportier looks compared to sedan • Some four door sedans are being marketed as coupés, notably the Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class CLS-Class , Audi A5 • Modern coupés generally have the styling feature of frameless doors

Audi A5

Plymouth Convertible (1939)

• In 1939 Plymouth introduced the first convertible with a power top • It was activated by pneumatic cylinders, and removed a major inconvenience of open cars.

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 35 Convertibles in Post war periods • Post war period (1942-45): building pre-war design, including convertibles • In 1950s, and by 1957 convertible sales reached five percent of the market. • Ford dominated convertible sales in the '50s as it had in the '30s. • British sports cars like MGs, Jaguars and Austin-Healeys also gave open cars a sales boost

Cadillac 62 convertible

• Then in the late '60s convertible sales started to slip. They fell from a high of close to six percent of the market in the '60s, to about one percent in the early '70s.

Cadillac Eldorado (1976)

• 1970s Oil crisis; need for higher fuel economy and lower emission

• Chrysler LeBaron convertible (1982) on the ubiquitous K-car platform.

Chrysler LeBaron convertible (1982)

• Alteration at the trunk lid • The trunk lid of the convertible should be altered from its parent production model • Space for stowing the top, because the removal of the roof leads to a significant loss of rigidity.

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 40 Convertibles • The only body item carried away from the parent sedan to the convertible model are the front portion and a portion of the floor panel • Need for high static and dynamic stiffness • Dynamic stiffness determines the vehicle’s ride comfort • Removing the roof of a sedan reduced the tensional stiffness to about one-six of its former value

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 41 Convertibles • Need for high static and dynamic stiffness • Dynamic stiffness determines the vehicle’s ride comfort • Removing the roof of a sedan reduced the tensional stiffness to about one-six of its former value

• Measures has to be applied to combat loss of rigidity: • Large longitudinal member cross sections and Bulk heads • Improved joints at sills and pillars • Front and rear diagonal braces • Closed tunnel cross section

Convertibles 100 kg100

• Convertible weigh 100 kg more than the corresponding sedan

• Convertibles has to fulfill exact safety requirements as sedan • In frontal impact doorsills of the convertibles will be subjected to more greater bending as compared to that of sedan

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 45 Convertibles • While rollover A-pillar is subjected to high loads • A pillar is reinforced with the integral tubes of high strength steel and the cowl is reinforced by thicker gauge sheet metal and deeper sections

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 46 Convertibles • Side impact protection by means of reinforced doorsills and reinforcing elements such as tubes in B-pillar areas • Occupant protection by means of side air bag and head air bags

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 47 Convertibles • Introduction of Roll bars or Rollover cassettes • Mounted near the B-pillar • Automatically deploying roll bars mounted behind the rear seats • Uses springs to deploy the rear seat headrests in the vent of an emergency

• Back light , either rigid glass or flexible plastic • Rigid glass imparts higher stress on the top during opening and closing , and requires more package height. • But compared to plastic , glass can be heated and is less prone to scratching

Textile package and Seals

• Textile package consists of: Top cover, padding and headliner

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 52 Convertible Top’s Textile package and Seal • Top material is three layer product • Top layer: textile PVC or poly- acrylic fabric • Rubber coating : for water resistance • Bottom layer : Fabrics (polyester) • Convertible have unique sealing concepts • To Seal the transition between side glassing and top, windows are often cycled automatically

• When the top is made of a rigid material such as steel it is often referred to as a retractable hardtop instead of a convertible

• Body style similar to a sedan but with an extended rear cargo area. • Station wagons are based on sedan platform, having the main interior area extended to the near-vertical rear window.

• A hatchback car would not enjoy the full height of the passenger cabin all the way to the back • Rear glass of a hatchback being sloped further from vertical, and the hatch tending not to reach fully to the rear bumper, as it commonly would in a station wagon. • Station wagons also have side windows over the cargo area, whereas some hatchbacks have thick C pillars and no cargo area windows.

Star (1923) • Earlier know as 'depot hacks' • Early station wagons evolved from trucks and were viewed as Commercial Vehicles, not consumer automobiles • First 'production' station wagon was Star (1923) • Wooden body : Earlier bodies are made on truck chassis rather than on car chassis

Ford Model A

• Ford entered into station wagon market in 1929 • Ford station wagon had four door based on Model A chassis

Ron Pierce's Station Wagon (1930)

• The distance travelled were short, so the window and side weather protection were not considered to be expensive • 1930s the era of “ Woodies” • Glass side windows did not become common until 1930

• Chevrolet had introduced the first all- steel station wagon body in 1935 (the first Suburban), followed later by Willys in 1946 • Early 50's, wooden wagon bodies had disappeared and were replaced by the more practical all-steel body Chevrolet Suburban (1935)

• Introduction of compact station wagons in 1960s • Tailgates an area of innovation - there were • Two-way tailgates, • Sliding roof panels • Ford (Falcon/Comet) and Chevrolet Corvair (1959-1969) Chrysler (Valiant) some other e.g.

Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser (1964 / 1967)

• The Buick Sportswagon and the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser introduced a unique raised roof with a fixed glass sunroof and glass side panels

• 1970s gasoline crisis and the stringent emission norms leads to demise of station wagon • Vehicle choice was limited to SUVs and vans which filled the void of station wagon sales. • Escape the 'mom-mobile' image

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 63 History of Station Wagon • Wagons remain a strong vehicle of choice in Europe, where narrow streets and small parking spaces seem to call for practical decisions, although many wagons are smaller in Europe and preferable to minivans. • When it comes to space in cars, raw size really may not be that critical. How that space is used can be just as important. • When professional organizations compare available cargo space between S.U.V.’s and station wagons, it is the sport-utility vehicle that often comes up short • Because S.U.V.’s are tall, much of their cargo space may be found in height rather than the length of the vehicle. The VW Touareg, a tall S.U.V., actually has less usable storage space than the VW Passat wagon

• Subaru legacy wagon 4WD Ford Taurus wagon

• All-wheel drive became an interesting option on station wagons during the 1980's.

‘Tougher', off-road stance Wagon-like styling

Four-wheel drive Car chassis

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 66 “Hybrid” Wagon / SUV • Wagons, however, are some of the most space-efficient vehicles available, generally offering better fuel economy than sport-utility vehicles

Ford-S-Max

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 67 SUV • An SUV is a passenger vehicle, which combines the towing capacity of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a sedan. • They have a powerful engine, have sufficient passenger space along with luggage compartment behind the rear row seats and are designed for all terrains. • They are non commercial vehicles with the BIW built on the chassis similar to a light truck or a crew cab • An offroader needs a long hood and an upright position. That lends the vehicle self-assuredness and power

High Seating capacity Heavily built BIW large interior space

Powerful Engine High Safety features SUV

Long travel suspension Muscular bumpers with for off road usage side claddings & roof rails 4WD Mechanism

For carrying passengers Before Product Opportunity 1930’s For carrying luggage Gap

1930’s Why not? First SUV Chevrolet + Suburban

• By operating a lever behind the luggage compartment side trim, the customer can swing the ball head conveniently into position or retract it. © M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 73 SUV • During WW II the US military wanted powerful, rugged, faster & versatile vehicle, which could be used off-road – leads to success of SUVs Chevrolet Suburban (1935) • The civilian Jeep brand continued with the station wagon in 1946. • 1960’s the Willys Jeep and utility vehicles of other Jeep Wrangler (1940) manufacturers had a reasonable success in the rural market but failed to satisfy the needs of urban customers. Jeep Station Wagon (1946)

• Jeep's Wagoneer (1963) continued to support off-road capabilities for families. • 1970’s manufacturers realized that the demand of SUVs was International Scout (1961) increasing in the market and slowly the cost of the product started increasing • Ford introduced Bronco in their F-100 platform

Ford Bronco (1965)

• The ground clearances were lowered bit-by-bit, suspensions softened, powerful engines were employed and better comfort was provided. • The new SUVs such as Ford Bronco, the GMC Jimmy, and the Chevy Blazer were Chevrolet Blazer (1970) introduced and were quite successful.

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 76 Modern SUV’s • Late 1970’s and early 80’s the concern towards fuel economy had started which leads SUVs to loose Jeep Wrangler their weight (1987) • More importance was given for the styling and slowly it had started taking organic shape than the regular box shape Toyota Rav4 – • Introduction of Crossover concept (1996 ) came into existence and Toyota, Nissan, Cadillac, Ford and other manufacturers introduced new Figure 18 - models with better aesthetic Ford Escape – • Toyota RAV4 marked the first 2002 crossover SUV

© M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies 77 Modern SUV’s • In 1999, Volvo Car Corporation entered the SUV market using a saloon-car, or sedan platform as the base. • The goal was to combine the level of ride comfort and crash safety of a sedan with the greater visibility and interior space of a standard SUV, while also offering predictable Toyota Lexus RX400H (2005) handling characteristics and competitive fuel consumption. • Lexus RX 400H ( 2005) introduced hybrid crossover

• Classification of cars are on the basis of body style have been discussed • Latest trends and history behind different body style have been introduced