A front-end bra (car bra, front-end mask, hood bra, auto bra[1], hood mask, or car mask) is a stretchy type of vinyl (usually black) that attaches to the front of a car or other vehicle to protect the bumper, hood, and sides of the fender from scratches[2], paint chipping, and other minor damage from rocks, gravel, and other road debris. The bottom side of the bra is lined with a feltlike material.[3]
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Bill Colgan, founder of Colgan Custom Manufacturing, Inc. successfully operated a trim and upholstery business in Burbank, California for fifteen years prior to creating the car bra business. The "Original Car Bra" was invented in 1961 when three German engineers from Lockheed walked into Bill's upholstery shop, asking Colgan if he could redesign a protective cover for their personal Porsche vehicles. The very first pattern was for the Porsche 356. The pattern Colgan designed was the creation of the one-piece "Original Car Bra."[4][5]
There are several types of car bras, including full, sport, and T-style.[6][7] The car bra can also be carbon-based ostensibly to absorb the microwaves used in police radar equipment to minimize the risk of detection when speeding.[1]
Some automobile manufacturers use larger bras to cover the entire vehicle (or certain parts of it) to conceal its design when road-testing.