I've thought about this off and on for a few years now: which car was the first to have integrated bumpers; i.e. bumpers that are not obviously visible as a separate part of the car. Non-integrated bumpers are not necessarily chrome bumpers - they could be plastic covered - but still stick out and are obviously bumpers. Since this is a station wagon forum, we can amend the question to "Which station wagon (year and model) was the first to have integrated bumpers?". I would call a non-integrated bumper one in which you could rest a beer can on top of without it falling off. Or a shot glass. Or a beverage of your choice. You're all on the honour system not to google "first station wagon with non-integrated bumpers". But it's OK to google "Ford Taurus" to look at images of Fords. My guess is the Ford Taurus station wagon. I haven't researched it enough yet to identify the model year. Just to keep it simpler, let's exclude obscure manufacturers like the Lada, Skoda, Dacia, Yugo, etc. Trucks and SUVs are also excluded. Prizes will be given when the U.S. and Canadian federal budgets are both in surplus in the same year!
Also, what was the LAST station wagon (year, make, model) to have non-integrated bumpers? This is where Yugos, Ladas, Dacias and Skodas come in - I'm that somewhere, someone is building a '70s design car!
I would say that the first cars with properly integrated bumpers were the 1955 model year cars. Before that, the bumpers were obviously stuck on, and protruded from the bodywork noticeably. For 55, the G.M. and Chrysler models had nicely integrated bumpers that did not look like add ons. If you are talking about after the advent of 'safety bumpers', my guess would be the 1981 Pontiac LeMans with the shovel nose. The back bumper was still stuck out there, but the front was well integrated as part of the design. In terms of the back bumpers on wagons, that is a difficult one, because most of the new ones still have an obvious bumper, even if the cover is molded into the quarters.
I refuse to answer these questions because there is no chance of winning in my life time. Or yours! Since there is beer involved, I'll guess a 2015 Chevrolet made in China
The first car I thought of too but the nose has obvious disqualifying rubber covered bumperlike projections on the ends. The '68 GTO wagon would be the first.
What a beautiful car one of my favorite pontiac wagons ever mind you i really like pontiac back to the mid 50s 1959 safari wow
i HAD A 62 SAFARI MY SECOND CAR ACTUALLY MY SECOND WAGON SHOULD HAVE FIXED AND KEPT BUT CALISTER PARK LOVED THAT BOAT. I ACTUALLY THINK THAT CAR WAS A CHAMP, IT SURE WAS HEAVY. IT WAS A NO OPTION CAR THAT IN 1972 NEEDED ANEW REAR END AND BRAKES. I PAID NOTHING I ACTUALLY BOUGHT IT TO CARRY SALMON BUT WHEN IT GOT PULLED OFF THE ROAD FOR SAFETY REASONS I BUILT A I THINK IT WAS A 1967 METEOR WAGON WITH LEATHER SEATS AND AIR AND I COULD FIT 250 SOCKEYE SALMON ON ICE IN THE BACK ON ICE WHAT A CAR WE PUT A TRUCK RAD IN IT IT WAS MY FISH TRUCK AND MY CUSTOMERS SAW ME COMIN.SORRY THIS WAS A PONTIAC THREAD I KIND OF WENT DOWN MEMORY LANE BUT THE FUNNY THING IS IT ENDED ITS LIFE A CHAMP WITH MY BUDDY ALSO AT THE DERBY. UNFORTUNATELY THEY MADE EXCELLENT DERBY CARS AND THATS A BETTER WAY TO DIE THAN A CRUSHER. I REMEMBER I SOLD THAT PONTIAC FOR 250 (SEE I GOT BACK TO THE PONTIAC) AND THE GUY HAD AN OLDER HEAVY DUTY PROBABLY 1 TON FLAT DECK THE CAR HUNG OFF THE BACK FRONT WHEELS OF THE TRUCK BOUNCING OFF THE ROAD, IWANTED TO FOLLOW I SHOULD HAVE GOT PICTURES ANY HOW LOVE THOSE POTIACS ALLWAYS HAVE
The Audi 5000 wagon beat the Taurus by a couple of years. The Audi came out as an '83, the first Taurus was an '86.
I would call a non-integrated bumper one in which you could rest a beer can on top of without it falling off. Or a shot glass. Or a beverage of your choice. Okay, who took all the beer off the bumpers?
