When started America's rubber bumper legislation?

• 

We always believed that the American legislation for bumper positioning dated back to the early 1970s. Yes, we mean the regulation that made so many elegant British, Swedish and even Japanese sportscars look like clumsy fairground toys. Okay, they were good for fixing bumper stickers to them. God bless America 

However, we now came across a picture which made us all confused. Or actually the caption did. The photograph shows a brand new late-1940s Triumph Roadster in the US. In fact the car is supposedly shown in front of the Prince George Hotel in New York. There’s no doubt that it’s an American import – the whitewall tyres and radiator ornament give more than just a clue. But the bumper is different, too, and the caption says it’s ‘modified for American conditions’. Now, we know conditions are no regulations, but somebody here may be able to explain when the US introduced well er..., let's say the 'Rubber Bumper Act'

(text: Jeroen Booij)

Make a comment, ask a question, give your opinion, share additional information or start a discussion by filling in the fields below.