M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies

Session 3

Classification of Car by Body Style

Session Speaker
Mr. Mithun S. K.

M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies

Session Objectives

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

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 Session Topics

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

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 Terms used to describe early vehicle body styles

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

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 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

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 Terms used to describe early vehicle body styles

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.
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 Terms used to describe early vehicle body styles

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 Coup being a two-
seater version of a Berlina, a Landaulet is really a two-seater version
of a Landauer.

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 Micro car

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.
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 Micro car

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.

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 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

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 Micro car

1950 Reyonnah

1959 PTV

It has a radical solution to the problem of parking.

PTV was the second-biggest-selling microcar in Spain.
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 Reason for a Micro car

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.

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 Modern Micro Cars

The Smart (model Fortwo)

launched in 1998 was a
successful re-invention of the
microcar

Smart (model Fortwo)

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 Electric Micro car
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

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 Micro car

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 Hatchbacks

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.

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 Hot Hatchs

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.

Citron Traction Avant Commerciale (1938)

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 History of Hatchbacks
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

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

Innocenti A40S Combinata (1962)

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 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

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 History of Hatchbacks

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

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 1980s the Golden Era for Hatchbacks

Lancia Delta
Vauxhall Astra

Fiat Tipo

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 Hatchbacks in 1990s

Volkswagen Golf

Fiat Bravo Ford Focus

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 Hatchbacks in 2000

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 Sedan

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

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 Sedan and its types
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.
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 Sedan and its types
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
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 Sedan and its types
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 m) in
volume (includes legroom, shoulder room, and headroom)
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 Liftbacks

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

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 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 coup
Coups generally, but not necessarily, have
two doors, although automobile makers have
offered four-door coups and three- and
five-door hatchback coups, as well.
The SAE distinguishes a coup from a
sedan (saloon) primarily by interior
volume
SAE standard J1100 defines a coup as a
fixed-roof automobile with less than 33 ft2
of rear interior volume.
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 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 coups

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 Coupe As a Marketing Term
Due to it sportier looks
compared to sedan
Some four door sedans are
being marketed as coups,
notably the Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
CLS-Class , Audi A5
Modern coups generally have
the styling feature of frameless
doors

Audi A5

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 Convertibles
Vehicles whose roofs may be showed or who side windows may be
completely lowered

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 Convertibles

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.

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 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

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 Convertibles in 1960s

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.

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 Convertibles in 1960 and 70s

Cadillac Eldorado (1976)

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

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 Convertibles in 1980s

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

Chrysler LeBaron convertible (1982)

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 Convertibles
Design of convertible body shell

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.
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 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 vehicles ride comfort
Removing the roof of a sedan reduced the tensional stiffness to about
one-six of its former value

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 Convertibles
Need for high static and dynamic stiffness
Dynamic stiffness determines the vehicles ride comfort
Removing the roof of a sedan reduced the tensional stiffness to about
one-six of its former value

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 Convertibles

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
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 Convertibles

100 kg
Convertible weigh 100 kg more than the corresponding sedan

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 Convertibles

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

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 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

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 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

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 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

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 Convertible Tops
Top frame work covered with cloth

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 Convertible Tops
A convertible top consists of
nearly 300 parts
Light weight design: usage of
Aluminum and magnesium

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 Convertible Tops

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

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 Convertible Tops
Textile package and Seals

Textile package consists of: Top cover, padding and headliner

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 Convertible Tops
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

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 Convertible Vs Hardtop

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

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 Station Wagon / Estate

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.

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 How Station Wagon Differ From Hatchback?

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.
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 History of Station Wagon

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

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 History of Station Wagon

Ford Model A

Ford entered into station wagon market in 1929

Ford station wagon had four door based on Model A chassis

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 History of Station Wagon

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

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 History of Station Wagon

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)

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 History of Station Wagon

Introduction of compact station

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

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 History of Station Wagon

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

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 History of Station Wagon

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

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 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

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 History of Station Wagon

Subaru legacy wagon 4WD Ford Taurus wagon

All-wheel drive became an interesting option on station wagons

during the 1980's.

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 Hybrid Wagon / SUV

Tougher', off-road stance Wagon-like styling

Four-wheel drive Car chassis

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 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

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 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

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 Basic features of SUV

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

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 Evolution of SUV

For carrying passengers

Before Product
Opportunity
1930s
For carrying luggage Gap

1930s Why not? First

SUV Chevrolet
+ Suburban

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Off-road characteristics of SUV

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Off-road characteristics of SUV

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 Trailer towing bracket

By operating a lever behind the luggage compartment side trim, the

customer can swing the ball head conveniently into position or retract
it.
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 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.
1960s 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)

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 SUV

Jeep's Wagoneer (1963)

continued to support off-road
capabilities for families.
1970s manufacturers realized
International Scout (1961)
that the demand of SUVs was
increasing in the market and
slowly the cost of the product
started increasing
Ford introduced Bronco in
their F-100 platform
Ford Bronco (1965)

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 SUV

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.

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 Modern SUVs
Late 1970s and early 80s 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
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 Modern SUVs
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,
Toyota Lexus RX400H (2005)
while also offering predictable
handling characteristics and
competitive fuel consumption.
Lexus RX 400H ( 2005) introduced
hybrid crossover

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 Latest Trends
Sport Activity Coup???

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 Summary / Conclusion

Classification of cars are on the basis of body style have been

discussed
Latest trends and history behind different body style have been
introduced

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