James Charles Ruwaldt wrote:
> > Starting that year, all cars sold in the U.S. were required to
> > have impact-absorbing bumpers.
>
Trevor Boicey responded:
> ...However, it was actually more designed for insurance companies
> than safety.
>
> I guess the insurance companies were getting tired of paying
> out $700 for every parking lot 2mph oversight. Isn't the exact
> wording something like "Car must absorb 5mph impact with only
> superficial damage" or similar?
The intent of the standard was to "prevent damage to the car body and
safety-related equipment [such as lights] at barrier impact speeds of...."
(Quote courtesy of NHSTA) The standard was 2.5mph until 1974, then 5mph,
then it reverted back to 2.5mph sometime in the 1980s. Implementation of
this and other standards at the time was further complicated by certain
exemptions or "stays" sometimes granted for certain body types (i.e., open
cars) and for certain manufacturers (i.e., some foreign companies and/or
low volume production.
Then as now, manufacturers chose a variety of methods to meet the
standard. BLMC in some cases (Triumph) was able to go a somewhat less
expensive route (raising bumper height and/or adding rubber overriders);
in other cases they ultimately went with more extensive, expensive
modifications (raised, rubber-nosed MGs for example). But a lot depended
on any number of other factors as well, such as basic structural
engineering of the particular car body, how long it was planned to keep a
particular model in production, etc., etc.
Personally, I always thought that Triumph did a rather better job
(appearance-wise) than most companies in attempting to comply with the
standards!
--Andy
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* Andrew Mace, President and *
* 10/Herald/Vitesse (Sports 6) Consultant *
* Vintage Triumph Register *
* amace@unix2.nysed.gov *
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