Forgotten fixings: racing's secret ingredient – retroview bumpers

The Automotive world is littered with peculiar design choices, but few are as unexpectedly pervasive as the humble rear bumper. From Formula 1 titans to budget-conscious family cars, a surprising number have borrowed heavily from a rather unassuming source: the Citroën CX.

A shocking legacy

It seems a bizarre truth has emerged: a string of iconic British sports cars and grand touring vehicles of the 1980s and 90s relied on the rear bumpers of the Citroën CX. The Noble M12, a brilliantly engineered yet relatively obscure supercar, is a prime example. Built between 2000 and 2008, this wide, low, V6-powered machine owes its visual identity, in part, to the CX’s chassis components – specifically, its rear bumpers.

Cx bumpers everywhere

The trend wasn’t isolated to the Noble. Retroview bumpers popped up on the TVR Griffith, the Lotus Esprit MkII, and even the Jaguar XJ220. RM Sotheby’s recently highlighted this common thread, noting that faster cars often benefited from less conspicuous rear-view solutions – allowing for the fitting of these readily available CX bumpers. Aston Martin Virages, McLaren F1s, and a multitude of TVRs, Venturis, and Marcos all sported the CX’s distinctive styling.

A humbler origin

But let’s not forget the Land Rover. The Defender’s ancestor, the Land Rover Discovery, drew heavily on the Range Rover’s existing architecture. To keep costs down, the chassis, doors, and windshield were inherited directly from the original Range Rover. And the rear bumpers? They were lifted almost wholesale from the Austin Maestro Van – a pragmatic choice for many small businesses of the era.

From van to legend

It’s a testament to the cyclical nature of Automotive design. What began as a cost-saving measure, utilizing a readily available component from a distinctly unglamorous vehicle, ended up contributing to the visual appeal of some of the era's most celebrated machines. The McLaren F1, a legendary supercar, even shared its rear bumper with a humble German school bus. And the Lotus Esprit MkII, a classic sports car, utilized Fiat X1/9 bumpers in its earlier iterations, while the MkIV adopted the Toyota AE86’s iconic design. It’s a surprisingly fascinating, if somewhat jarring, piece of Automotive history.

A final detail

Even the Mazda 323F, a car often overlooked, contributed its rear bumpers to the Aston Martin DB7 in 1994. And the MG XPower SV, in its final, fiery iteration, utilized faring from the Fiat Punto to create its aggressive stance. Rover’s demise, ultimately, was arguably fueled by its reliance on these seemingly minor components – a stark reminder that even the most audacious designs can draw inspiration from the most unexpected sources.