Fastback

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Fastback (disambiguation).
This 1968 Ford Mustang has a fastback body style.
This 1968 Ford Mustang has a fastback body style.
A four door fastback body style: Citroen CX
A four door fastback body style: Citroen CX
Fastback. Fiat 127 first series.
Fastback. Fiat 127 first series.
Hatchback. Fiat 127 second series.
Hatchback. Fiat 127 second series.
The 1967 AMC Marlin is a sleek full-sized monocoque fastback pillarless 2-door hardtop design.
The 1967 AMC Marlin is a sleek full-sized monocoque fastback pillarless 2-door hardtop design.
An early fastback: the Saab 92 from 1949
An early fastback: the Saab 92 from 1949
Not a fastback: a combi coupé or hatchback like this Saab 900 can be confused with a true fastback
Not a fastback: a combi coupé or hatchback like this Saab 900 can be confused with a true fastback
A four door fastback body style: Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
A four door fastback body style: Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class


A fastback is a car body style characterised by a continuous slope from the roof to the base of the decklid. Fastbacks can be two-door coupés or two- or four-door sedans.

Unlike the hatchback, a fastback car has a fixed rear window and typically a trunk that is separated by a bulkhead from the passenger cabin.

Contents

[edit] Aerodynamic Advantages

Fastbacks provide an advantage in developing aerodynamic vehicles with a low drag coefficient. The Kamm tail is a related concept.

Possibly because of these aerodynamic advantages, the angle of the rear window on traditional three-box sedans has been steadily increasing, blurring the distinction between fastback sedans and notchback cars. The current Audi A6 is an example of this trend.

This form can also provide a dramatic styling impact.

[edit] Confusion with hatchback and liftback cars

Fastback is a U.S. term - in the UK, true fastbacks are so unfamiliar that no word exists for them. They are often mislabeled as hatchbacks, which by definition are different vehicles where the entire rear portal or 'fifth door' including the window will open.

In profile, hatchbacks and fastbacks can occasionally be confused, since both are two-box designs. A hatchback that looks like a fastback, but has a rear window integral to the hatch and a luggage compartment integral to the cabin, is properly termed a liftback. All liftbacks are hatchbacks with a fastback's profile, but a true fastback is neither a liftback nor a hatchback.

Some fastbacks have a trunk area that is not discrete or separate from the cabin, while others are just like notchback sedan/coupé layouts but with a very steep rake for the rear window.

Some small family cars have evolved over time from fastbacks into liftbacks without altering their side profile - the Fiat 127, Volkswagen Passat, and Citroën GS for example.

[edit] Examples of two-door fastback cars

[edit] Examples of four-door fastback cars

[edit] See also

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