A body kit is a set of parts or components that are installed onto an OEM car to improve the overall aesthetic of the vehicle. Nowadays, you will find body kits for a wide range of vehicles from a diverse scope of manufacturers, all available in a few simple clicks. Let’s take a deep dive into the different options when it comes to styling your car, and how the car-styling craze first came about.

The beginning of Car Styling

You can trace the history of the modern body kits all the way back to the beginning of the 20th century. The popularity of custom cars in America was flourishing, with many enthusiasts wanting their vehicle to stand out from the crowd while concurrently improving performance and body kits were a great option to achieve this.

Another big factor in the evolution of exterior car styling was motorsport. Participators wanted to provide a competitive edge to their vehicle’s performance by making slight adjustments to the construction of their vehicle and the body parts, bumpers were given bigger air dams to provide the engine with more fresh air, wide fenders were added to wheel arches allowing wider wheels and spoiler were added to the rear of the car to improve both grip and air dynamics. These products were then replicated by body kit suppliers, making them available to the wider public.

Fibreglass

In the late 1940s, the world’s first automotive body constructed from the new glass reinforced plastic, more commonly known as Fibreglass, was conceived. First manufactured by Bill Tritt, the Glasspar G2 was released. Few were constructed as complete cars, most often offered as a body kit.

Fibreglass is a strong yet lightweight material that can be moulded into a range of different shapes. These products are commonly made by hand, meaning that they can easily be tailored to suit your car’s needs.

Fibreglass is still used for body kit manufacturing in the present day. Many companies, like WK Composites and GRP can manufacture fibreglass panels and body kits to any specification. Here at Maxton Design, we also offer fibreglass products in the form of bumpers, spoilers, side skirts and a few front splitters. Our Fibreglass kits are supplied unpainted, meaning you can fully customize your styling part to fit your preferences.

ABS Plastic

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, more commonly known as ABS, is a widely used material in the automotive industry. It was first patented in 1948 and entered the commercial market in 1954, introduced by the Borg-Warner Corporation. Items such as plastic alloys and interior car parts are often constructed from ABS Plastic, alongside wider products like computer keyboard components, wall sockets and the popular toy Lego. As most people have experienced, when standing on a piece of Lego your foot often comes off worse than the plastic, proving it’s durability.

ABS Plastic has a low melting point, meaning it can be easily moulded into the desired shape. It is light weight and offers some flexibility, making it a perfect material for car styling parts. Also, as ABS is reasonably affordable compared to other similar materials, it’s a great option for parts that are going to be installed in vulnerable areas of the car and exposed to loose objects on the road that could cause damage.

The majority of Maxton Design products are manufactured using ABS Plastic to provide the most cost-effective solution to transform the look of your car.

Carbon Fibre

Carbon Fibre made it’s automotive debut in 1981, where it was used in a McLaren MP4/1 Formula 1 race car. Shortly after, it was utilised in the upper tiers of road performance cars, like the McLaren F1 and Jaguar XJR-15.

Carbon Fibre is a lightweight, yet very strong polymer, making it useful for the manufacturing of many automotive parts. It dates back to 1879, however it’s true manufacturing potential was realised in 1963 at a British research center.

Although Carbon Fibre may seem expensive to many, the durability of the material can prove it to be quite cost-effective. The appearance of the material also connotes luxury and extravagance, allowing you to stand out against the rest.

With the introduction of Maxton Carbon earlier this year, we’ve broken into a completely new market, while also providing even more options to style your car. You can learn more about our Carbon Division in our previous blog post.

Conclusion

So, as you’re now aware, there’s plenty of options when it comes to visually upgrading your car, and each option has its own benefits. Feel free to check out what we offer for your car, or get in touch with our customer service team to discuss the options we offer!