Way back when Henry Ford brought motoring to the masses he made sure that his Model T had a solid steel barrier - front and back - to protect the car from accidental contact with other items.
They were called - bumper bars !
By the mid twentieth century car design people were more concerned with appearance than funtionality. Those bumper bars were now much lighter pieces of metal, chromed to add eye appeal - but still capable of deflecting minor impacts.
Towards the end of that century more changes had occurred. Chrome was no longer in favour and metal had been replaced with plastic. Even worse - the body colour had been extended to the so called " bumper bars " and even the slightest scratch had become a costly paint job to repair.
Advance to the present day - and now the bumper bar has completely disappeared.
The modern car is a magnificently complex piece of machinery that is light years ahead of the trusty old Model T in reliability - and yet is it unprotected. It competes for space on over crowded roads and jockeys for position to park at the kerb or in parking lots - and that means contact with others - and inevitable damage.
The difference is that the modern car has moved from being simply functional - to a very expensive fashion accessory.
It seems that car designers aim for physical attraction to make a new model " must have " - and induce us to have the latest, even though it means trading our present car every two or three years because it has become slightly shoddy in appearance - and no longer reflects who we are.
Those who ride in cars have the added protection of air bags and seat belts. Unfortunately the vehicle itself has less protection than it did nearly a century ago !
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