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Is the R4 the last car to be made with bumpers?

S

Steve Hennessey

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Just me being curious, but due to an accident last week where a tailgating moron went into the back of my Renault 5 :mad: , the only damage sustained was a large crack in my plastic bumper. I have never liked the look of plastic bumpers on cars, but I've got to admit that if it had been a steel one, the damage would have been much greater.

I then got to think about the last production car having steel bumpers fitted and I can only come to the conclusion that it has to be the Renault 4. Am I correct in thinking this or does anybody know any other make and model that used steel bumpers after 1992 when R4 production ceased?
 
The Lada Niva comes immediately to my mind (they were aluminum though...).Incidentally the R5 was the first one to be made with plastic bumpers.
 
Weren't the 2CV and Beetle were both made for a while after Renault 4 production finished?

Has to be one of the cars like that that they forgot to stop making.
 
The production of the 2CV stopped definitely on 27/6/1990. On this date the last 2CV was built in the Mangualde factory (Portugal). The last 2CV rolled off Levallois in 1988 (I don't know the exact day).
The last Beetle (Mexico-built) was made in summer 2003, after that,Beetle production also stopped definitely.
I remember when R4 production ceased (end of 1992) that there was a rumor that it would continue to be assembled in the Maroco or Portugal factory.I heard this rumor later,that R4 production continued until 1994 but it is not officially proved,and it is not being referred in any R4 book. I would be interested to learn more on this...
 
Looks like the Lada Niva had the last bumpers. It still appears to be in production in Russia but I'm not sure if they still fit them. I was hoping that the R4 was the 'winner', but second place isn't that bad!
 
You can still buy the lada niva 4x4 here in france new!! there is quite a following here. The old shape that is and it still had metal bumpers until 2003 then a horrible plastic blob stuck on the front but now i understand there is a completely new shape niva on the market from 2006
 
Yes, you're right. I forgot all about Mini's considering I have worked on more of them in my life than any other car :oops: . Saying that, the 'bumpers' on Mini's were more trim than anything else and offered no body protection at all.

That puts the R4 into third place now!!
 
Of course, do not forget the YUGO (Zastava) factory, in Serbia...the model SKALA 101 and 128 comes with the bumpers, as well as the Koral 1,1 model:):):)....
 
Absolutely correct, just up till recently they have started manufacturing them out of plastic...,but, they are still bumpers...:) :) :)
 
LOL a tank it is!
I would rule out the Niva, I'd say thats an all-terrain vehicle, like the LandRover, the LandCruiser, the Patrol, the.... etc.
 
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