At Home Mechanic

On the other hand the front air dam on most cars generally serves a real purpose. Popularized by General Motors in the early 1970's to direct more cooling air to the radiators, these little extra bits under the front bumper can also prevent some air from passing under the automobile. Reducing the amount of air passing under the car in turn helps to prevent lift. On my hobby car, a 1987 Honda CRX Si that is reserved for sporting purposes and is retired from daily use, I have combined a deep front air dam that allows only a small amount of air under the car with a very large passage under the rear bumper to speed what little air does get under the car out from under it. This combination acts to create a tiny amount (and I do mean a tiny amount) of vacuum that helps to suck the car down on to the road.

Aerodynamic considerations are incorporated into automotive designs and it is why many different manufacturers create cars that seem to appear similarly. Perhaps the most predominate characteristic of modern cars is the high trunk. The rear area of cars has gotten higher and higher over the years as designers have come to recognize that air flows more smoothly over a car if it is slightly wedge shaped. And because the laws of physics apply equally to all automobiles, various different brands of cars are all beginning to resemble each other. And the distinction we used to associate with style has become a victim of the times.