Fender (vehicle)

The term fender body parts of vehicles - means attached to the wheels - usually in motor vehicles.

The fender is designed to cover the wheels of a vehicle in sufficient shape to not endanger other road users, especially pedestrians by the rotary motion of a detached wheel. According to German automobile law ( § 36a StVZO) wheels must not protrude from the body or must have a cover for this reason. Similar provisions are found in other countries. Likewise prevent fender an unnecessarily large resuspension of water from the road surface, the following traffic could hinder the view. This would occur with exposed wheels in an extreme form.

The term fender itself originated in a time when the coaches still dominated the streets. The then mostly open and horse-drawn cars were equipped with covers over the wheels, which reminded of its curved shape to walk on the wings of birds. Feces was originally called " dirt, dirt ," as today in Austria, but also stood for horse manure and faeces, which were then often disposed of through the open road. The purpose of these covers was, that the wheels of carriages could not hurl the mire of the streets directly into the interior of the coach and entirely cover the occupants. The same function is performed on a bicycle mudguard.

Fender of a Ford Model T in 1924

, Marked in red fender on a 1938 Chrysler

Left front fender on a VW Golf I

Classic fender damage in a car accident